STATE CUTS TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES

To close a $14.5 billion dollar funding gap, the state is proposing to cut nearly $7 billion from educational programs over the next 18 months. While the K-12 children will take the brunt of this attack, more than half a billion dollars will be cut from the community college system.

THIS YEAR
-$40 million cut “midyear”, effective immediately
-Delay $200 million in funds for fiscal 07-08 to be paid in September 2008, leaving schools with little money to run on until then.

NEXT YEAR
-$483.5 cut from community colleges
-This effectively eliminates space for more than 50,000 community college students.

THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE HAS MADE SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW SCHOOLS CAN INDIVIDUALLY COPE WITH THE LOSS OF FUNDS

-Eliminate special education programs (as San Diego county is considering doing).
-Impose hiring freezes and eliminate full time employees in favor of more part time employees (full time teachers and staff get benefits and paid office hours, part time employees get no benefits and are only paid for the amount of time they spend in a classroom. Also, they are much easier to fire).
-Roll back hours and benefits for staff like counselors, custodians, and security.
-Eliminate or cut back programs and staff that help deaf, blind and other handicapped students with schooling.
-Raise tuition.
-Cut financial aid.
-Cut back grants and scholarships.

The Governor is confident that his budget will be passed because students, especially poor students or students with disabilities, have no way to fight back. We don’t have teams of lawyers and enormous corporate bank accounts to buy our own politicians. But we don’t have to take this! We can, and must fight this.

CUTS TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES

The governor’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2008-2009 calls for reductions in spending for social services. Some of the money is to be taken out of school coffers immediately, the rest over the next 18 months. Here is the breakdown:

$40 million dollars would be returned to the state within the next several weeks.
Another $483.5 million would be taken out from next years budget
The governor’s office has several suggestions for how schools on a case-by-case basis can deal with the projected shortfall.

Statewide schools could eliminate 52,000 “slots” for community college students (that effectively means that about 52,000 people won't get a higher education next year).

Eliminate special educations programs for people with learning disabilities (as San Diego county is considering doing)

Impose hiring freezes for teachers and staff.
Roll back hours for part time employees and eliminate several permanent positions in favor of more part time employees who don’t receive benefits or tenure.

Eliminate specific programs for foreign students and disabled students.

Reduce financial aid grants for poorer students.

The government wants to take money away from students rather than raise taxes. This is because most taxes come from corporations, and corporations are largely responsible for getting candidates elected in the first place. The candidates have to return the favor. They are counting on us taking this sitting down. We don’t have millions of dollars and groups of lawyers to lobby for us. That is why they are taking our money.

We don’t have to bend over anymore for the wealthy few.

Help organize to fight these cuts.



Email: Globalstudiesclub@yahoo.com

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Voters reject Prop. 92

Feb.6--In a major upset for California's community colleges and their budgets, Prop. 92 failed to gain approval in Tuesday's presidential primary election.

As of 10 a.m., the initiative that aimed to fix per-unit fees at $15 and separate funding from K-12 schools into its own category, came in short with about 42.6 percent of the "Yes" votes, with about 57.4 percent against it.

"We're still the only segment of education without a separate funding source. This is unfortunate," said Dr. Desmond O'Neill, Board of Trustees president. "I guess we need to work harder on our bond measure."

more here

Consequences of 1983-1984 Budjet Cuts

The Governor of California's veto actions on the 1983-84 Budget Bill amounted to a cut of $232 million, eliminating the funding necessary to implement equalization, inflation, and growth provisions. This funding cut will result in a 12% decline in the real buying power of community college budgets. The Governor's cut is particularly unfortunate since it comes on the heels of 1982-83's $30 million cut and a 5-year period during which the buying power of college revenues fell by one-fourth and of budget reserves by three-fourths. The results of the budget cut will include the following: (1) statewide, over 15,000 course sections, or 10% of instruction, will be cancelled; (2) approximately 10,000 staff, largely part-time faculty, will be laid off; (3) an estimated 163,000 students will be lost; (4) the ability of community colleges to offer programs in high demand areas of business, engineering, and related fields will be particularly impaired; (5) efforts to improve student retention through better assessment and counseling will be impossible; and (6) many other support services for those students who remain will be discontinued. Appendices include graphs displaying the results of the Governor's veto and the decline in college buying power, charts detailing the impact of the veto actions on each district's budget, a historical summary of community college budget reductions since 1978, and a summary of 1982-83 cutbacks. (Author/AYC)

STATE EDUCATION BUDGET ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

The governor has proposed several large cuts in public education over the next 18 months:

$400 million: In midyear cuts this fiscal year

$4.4 billion: For K-12 districts in 2008-09

$1.1 billion: For higher education in 2008-09

SOURCE: Governor's office

According to Schwarzenegger's office and state education officials, the cuts would be distributed this way:

K-12 school districts would lose $360 million this year in a “midyear” cut and $4.4 billion more in fiscal 2008-09, which begins July 1.

The state's community colleges would lose $40 million in a midyear cut and $484 million more in 2008-09.

The University of California system would have to cut $332 million in 2008-09.

The California State University system would face a $312.9 million decrease in 2008-09.

Read in Full Here

Budget cuts 2008

(01-11) 04:00 PST Sacramento - --

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, acknowledging that California faces tough economic times, proposed an austere budget Thursday for the next fiscal year that would take billions of dollars from public schools, shut down four dozen state parks and release tens of thousands of prisoners to close a projected $14.5 billion deficit.

Virtually every state department was required to slash 10 percent from this year's spending, a move that would cut services for many Californians, especially the poor, the elderly and the disabled.

"I understand how difficult (the cuts) will be for many people," Schwarzenegger said as he unveiled the budget at a Sacramento news conference. "But we need to be fiscally responsible and spend only the money we have."

The governor also declared a fiscal emergency and called a special session of the Legislature to trim spending during the current year, which at today's levels is expected to put the state as much as $3.3 billion in the hole by the end of the fiscal year in June.

More here: SF Gate