GILROY
– For the six-month-old 2002-03 school year, California
community colleges will receive $161 million less than what they
originally anticipated.
GILROY – For the six-month-old 2002-03 school year, California community colleges will receive $161 million less than what they originally anticipated.
Gov. Gray Davis signed Tuesday night a mid-year budget cutting bill for community colleges that school officials around the state are calling a bittersweet victory.
It’s bitter because junior colleges are losing millions more than their four-year institution counterparts. It’s sweet because they are taking less of a hit than what they’ve been bracing for and indicates that cuts from next year’s budget may be less severe than expected.
This year’s budget cuts will amount to a 3.3 percent reduction in funding rather than the originally proposed 6.2 percent reduction. In the case of Gavilan College, its $800,000 share of cuts will now only run about $550,000.
Kinsella and other community college officials in California credited an unprecedented lobbying effort, which culminated in a 10,000 student protest Monday at the state capital, for the state’s leniency.
“It’s for the most part good news. We’re glad (the governor) has finally given us direction for the current year,” Gavilan President Steve Kinsella said. “But we do still have to make cuts.”
Complicating matters is that a $71 million shortfall in revenue from property taxes will not be subsidized by the state under the new budget cutting plan.
The shortage of money puts Gavilan in a position where it must reduce spending on maintenance equipment and new equipment and materials for classrooms and the library.
The school will hold off on a heating and air conditioning improvement project and the school library will have to reduce the amount of new books and periodicals it purchases, Kinsella said.
Kinsella said the school should be able to stay true to its goal to not let go of any full-time employees, although a handful of vacant positions will likely not get filled. Kinsella also reported that the $1 million in state cuts for next school year would likely be only $750,000.
The good news does not mean classes that have been cut from Gavilan’s course offerings will be reinstated.
Gavilan College is saving more than $100,000 in part-time teacher salaries this semester and next by cutting some course sections. Kinsella said the sections would not be added back in light of the most recent news because the state has not been funding Gavilan College for all the students its serves.
“We’re going to build a class schedule that gives us maximum revenue from the state,” Kinsella said. “We can’t afford to do otherwise when you have a budget situation like this.”
Kinsella acknowledged the unfortunate fallout that occurs when the school is not able to maintain or increase its course offerings. Fewer course sections means increased class sizes, Kinsella said, and larger class size usually requires the need for more student support services, such as tutoring and counseling.
One of Gavilan’s most successful student support services, the Puente program, is facing $30,000 of cuts.
“It could be a breaking point for some students,” Kinsella said. “Students who struggle and can’t get the help they need often leave school and it’s a struggle to get them back in.”
