Foothill-De Anza Community College District will be forced to cut an estimated $8 million from its current-year budget and turn away hundreds, if not thousands, of current and prospective students if the governor’s mid-year proposals to reduce community college budgets are enacted.
The proposed $332 million in cuts to community colleges statewide would mean denying opportunity to nearly 263,000 students. An analysis by the Community College League of California concluded that this is the number of students California’s 110 community colleges could not serve if the governor’s proposed mid-year cuts prevail. That is the equivalent of shutting down the entire University of California system.
To absorb a funding cut of this magnitude, Foothill and De Anza colleges have few options besides reducing the number of course sections offered in the winter and spring quarters. The colleges will do everything possible to ensure the availability of classes that students need most to complete university transfer, basic skills and career programs. However, cutting back class sections means some community residents will have their educational goals delayed or denied.
The district’s fall enrollment is up about 6 percent from last year. This increase reflects a strong demand for higher education as the number of high school graduates peaks and the poor economy leads more people back to school. The district already is educating several thousand students beyond its state-mandated enrollment cap–students for whom it does not receive state funding. The governor’s mid-year proposal would additionally reduce state funding by 5 percent per student.
In the meantime, the district faces rising health-care and other operating costs with no inflationary adjustment from the state. Further contributing to the financial challenge is the possibility that community colleges may be hit by new shortfalls in property-tax collections. Unlike K-12 districts, community college districts do not automatically receive a state funding backfill when property-tax revenues fall short of the budgeted amount.
Foothill-De Anza already has taken steps to cut spending over the past year. It has put a freeze on hiring, is keeping essential positions vacant for as long as possible and has launched an employee wellness initiative to reduce health-care costs. Additionally, both Foothill and De Anza colleges have had to redirect money to their operating budgets that had been earmarked to improve access and education for students.
“A 10 percent budget reduction means turning students away at a time when their education is critical to the future of Silicon Valley and California,’’ said Bruce Swenson, Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees’ president and a retired college professor and administrator. “This is not the time to offer students fewer classes and services. It makes no sense.’’
Foothill-De Anza Chancellor Martha Kanter called the situation the worst she has seen in 30-plus years in higher education.
“California’s requirement for a two-thirds legislative vote to pass a budget has hamstrung the state’s ability to raise taxes and close tax loopholes,’’ Kanter said. “These steps are necessary to preserve essential state services, including education. Foothill-De Anza will join other advocates in urging solutions to California’s budget deficit that will not devastate the lives of so many residents of our state.’’
Community college students, faculty and staff throughout the state are urging the governor to do everything possible to preserve educational opportunity for the nearly 263,000 students who could be squeezed out of community colleges.
“With unemployment projected to rise from 7.7 percent to 9.7 percent by 2010, community colleges are California’s most cost-effective and efficient way to ensure that our state has a well-educated, well-trained workforce to lift us out of this economic crisis,” Kanter said.
As difficult as the proposed mid-year reductions would be, the situation could become even more dire if the Legislature does not act quickly on the governor’s call to increase taxes to help close the state’s budget gap. Without the revenue increases proposed the governor, even more cuts would be needed to balance the budget.
California’s community colleges serve more than 1.7 million students every term. The 2008-09 budget approved by the Legislature in September, combined with the mid-year reductions proposed by the governor, would result in budget cuts of approximately 10 percent this fiscal year for all levels of public education in California, including K-12, community colleges, the California State University and the University of California, according to the analysis by the Community College League of California.
The Foothill-De Anza Community College District serves more than 45,000 students at two campuses, Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and De Anza College in Cupertino. It has an annual general fund budget of $230 million.
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For release Nov. 18, 2008
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