- NEWS
- Powder in sheriff's office is baking soda 36 minutes ago
- Snow possible in O.C.'s upper canyons 6 minutes ago
- Community college raffles 2010 Prius despite recall 1 hour & 34 minutes ago
- Yorba Linda home tops most-viewed list 57 minutes ago
- SPORTS
- SI exposes Winter Olympians 6 minutes ago
- Laker Rim Shots 2-8-10
- Sneak peek: SI swimsuit edition 2 hours & 8 minutes ago
- Angels' Shields won't be ready to start spring training 3 hours & 38 minutes ago
- BUSINESS
- Temp work pointing to a recovery? 3 hours ago
- $16.5M apartments sale sets record 1 hour & 6 minutes ago
- Home slashes $1.3 million in 4 days
- Community college raffles 2010 Prius despite recall 1 hour & 33 minutes ago
- ENTERTAINMENT
- Ed Harris pulls us through 'Wrecks' 1 hour & 10 minutes ago
- 'Housewife' denies she has a new boyfriend 2 hours & 8 minutes ago
- 'Idol' champ Fantasia finds her voice on stage
- Celebrity birthdays: Who's another year older Feb. 9?
- LIFE
- TRAVEL
- OPINION
31,500 might lose spots at O.C. community colleges
June 2nd, 2009, 12:36 pm · 58 Comments · posted by Gary Robbins, science writer-editor
Orange County’s nine community colleges could collectively be forced to reduce full and part-time enrollment by 31,500 as most of the schools would have to cut almost $30 millon to help balance the state budget, the California Community College system said today.
Such action would bring the total projected budget cuts at the county’s public colleges and universities to about $114 million, and would result in an undetermined number of lay-offs, furloughs and salary cuts for workers. The number and variety of courses also would be cut.
Orange County has four community college districts: South Orange, Rancho Santiago, North Orange and Coast.
South Orange is a “basic aid” district, which the state says means that “high property tax value covers the cost of supporting all of the students.” That means that the district doesn’t get lots of money from the general fund. But the other three districts do. And all four will likely have to greatly reduce enrollment, says an email from Paige Marlatt Dorr, a spokeswoman for the California Community College system.
Here’s a preliminary analysis from the state:
- The Rancho Santiago district must cut its budget by $8.8 million and reduce enrollment by about 10,749.
- The North Orange County district must cut about $10.1 million and reduce enrollment by 8,493.
- And the Coast district must cut $10.9 million and trim enrollment by 7,062.
- Although the South Orange distrct isn’t project to lose lots of state money, Door said the system could lose 5,247 students.
Related budget stories …
- UCI freezes faculty hiring as cuts soar to $55 million
- CSUF faces $29 million cut in budget showdown
- UCI undercounted its workforce by 6,000 employees
Did you miss …
- Shuttle Atlantis gets piggy back ride out of Southern California
- O.C. to see quick return of world’s largest airship
- UCI legend pushes back against Parkinson’s disease
- Q-and-A with scientist trying to get Spirit robot roving Mars again
- Small earthquake cluster near Yorba Linda twitching again
Reader Comments
Comments are encouraged, but you must follow our User Agreement.- Keep it civil and stay on topic.
- No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks.
- People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
58 Comments
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
-
-
-
ADVERTISEMENT
All they really have to do is require a HS diploma and a proficiency in the english language to get into community college and that would automatically reduce the enrollment by at least 30,000. Simply bring some sanity back into the system and the problem will solve itself.
Lets not forget proof of citizenship….
I don’t agree with the diploma part. I have tired to convince my kids to drop out of highschool at age sixteen and go the community college route. That way you can go on and get a masters and you are still really young. But no go.
The community College system already requires that you dummy where have you been?
Jon: Make your point without insulting other readers.
i apologize, Gary. But the Community College system already requires that you have a high school diploma or atleast of the age of 18 to graduate.
ocobserver wrote: “All they really have to do is require a HS diploma and a proficiency in the english language to get into community college…”
Well said!!!
OC Observer:
That would be mean. I mean we should continue providing services to people who dont pay for them, who dont contribute taxes to fund these programs and accomodate those lacking in english skills…. its what we do now.
It is crazy what we have become.
these people do pay taxes idiot.
At Santiago Community College, they waive all fees and provide free books to illegal immigrants. It is time to stop the madness.
FYI, there is no such program for illegal immigrants/non-residents. I am actually an Irish citizen that has been furthering my education in the United States for many years. I attended GWC as well as OCC and graduated from CSUF. No such programs existed to give non-residents a “free ride”. As a matter of fact, I paid the same fees as my classmates and when I attended CSUF I was to required to pay thousands MORE due to these “non-resident fees”. Perhaps the ignorant should look into “non-resident fees” prior to speaking such nonsense.
agreed ocobsever!!!!
ocobserver: You always come up with the simplest answers. The number of student cuts also relates the number of teachers and faculty they must lay off. Students pay for parking, books, purchase food and pay student fees.
So just getting students to just have a HS diploma is not the answer. There are High School students who also take courses at the community college to get credit so that would not work. So what you are saying is that you would like to discriminate against people who want to learn. How about just raising the fees?
Could you fix the grammar and the typos please. Basically the last section could have been at least proofread.
oc observer is wrong. racists think that segregation would solve everything, if you look at any article on ocregister that has anything to do with a mexican, the racists jump all over it. Any kids attending the school, pays for it. All oc’s followers are just as simple as the answer he gave.
Why don’t you call SCC, and see if everyone pays their fees? They have a fee waiver program, and they are very proud of it. They provide free books too. I am tired of paying thru the nose, while others get a free ride, particularly those in this country illegally. If that sounds “racist” I’m sorry.
i agree with ocobserver.
ocobserver - That’s the truth!!
I’ve taken lots of classes at RSCCD and am always amazed at the number of students who are present on the first day of class, and the numbers that are not there a month later.
All in all, the community colleges are a great bargain for the taxpayer, as opposed to the cal state or U-C system.
I’m confused, Do 3 of 4 districts feed from the headcount trough? Thus with less funds they have less students?
Silly me I pay for my kid in community college.
You don’t pay a fraction of the cost. Well, OK, a small fraction. The rest of us pick up the remainder.
What are you talking about? “The rest of us” includes me. I pay my property taxes, I pay my state taxes, I pay sales taxes, I pay smoking taxes PLUS I pay the school(s) directly.
If you don’t know the answer to my question, thanks for nothing.
Cut education, make jobs harder to get, and increase hours/slash wages for people who are trying to raise their families…where is this generation supposed to go? The streets, so you better get ready for MORE gang members, my racist friends….
Thanks… thats an assesment based in reality. With job cuts, decrease in affordable education and housing… we will have an increase in homeless.
Nice retort AJ. Call people that are offering solutions racist. That really helps.
Yeah, I took CC classes while in HS, gave me a boost in enrollment window when I go to UCI after I graduated.
shaggydaddy,
unless things have changed over the last decade or so, I dont think citizenship is required to goto college. By allowing foreign students into school that puts foreign monies back into the economy.
So with the enrollment reduced, what does that mean for the kids who want to goto college, but arent accepted?
English classes for those with limited English languages skills and a wide variety of vocational classes are both valuable parts of what the community colleges offer.
The problem will be solved if illegal aliens have to pay out-of-state tuition costs instead of in-county tuition!
How about raising fees even 10.00 a unit. Fees were reduced within the last 4 years. By raising fees minimally it won’t effect the students by much. It could save some jobs.
Fees have been going up.
Rick
The only problem with having aliens pay out-of-state tuition costs is that most of them are on grants. When I went to a JC I couldn’t get a grant because I am full white.
This is incorrect. It’s against the law to discriminate based on race when it comes to state and federal grant programs.
So I go to Coast Community part time because I am a young adult in my mid twenties that for the past 4 years has paid for myself to go to college and work full time. So now take my schooling away because some schmuck in Sacramento cannot budget money? Sweet so your damned if you don’t go to school and now you’ll be damned that you do. Fabulous…love the golden state.
These are more victims of overly generous compensation and benefits to firefighters and other government employees.
Cut the fat Arnold (the terminator of education), you can bet there are other programs less important he could cut. The cuts are always on the back of our kids!
The government loves to make headlines by announcing cuts in things like education, health care, police & fire protection etc… They know how to manipulate voters. They are trying to SCARE us. Unfortunately, it usually works because the average person doesn’t know squat about who & what they are really voting for. Propositions are written to purposely confuse voters. Government, why not just cut out the numerous wasteful programs that you sponsor along with getting rid of all the bureaucrats & golden parachutes? Politicians used to serve the public. Now they just serve themselves!
I still don’t get it… Why cut tuition paying students who bring money into the college. they are just stabbing themselves in the back. Choose the oldest/least efficient campus, with the least applicable classes and close the whole college for good! That should keep the other campuses open for business. Then sale the land to developers. I can think of at least 8 of these campuses in OC but there must be more. Make the student drive further and more gas tax can be collected.
1)No more illegal aliens.
2)With the advances in IT, we don’t need all of those busy bodies sitting around chatting on phones and getting paid to do nothing.
3)Get rid of middle management. They are useless.
4)Re-evaluation salaries of people that have been getting raises all these years without being more productive.
Remember the students that marched so that illegals could go to college? There are a finite number of seats in our public colleges. If you told one of those marching kids that they can kiss off their college education because an illegal took their seat and they would change their tune in a heartbeat.
I’m afraid I take an even harsher tack than you guys. Until EVERY California kid that wants to go to college and meets the qualifications is given a seat in one of our public college, the illegals and foreign nationals and students from other states can go somewhere else. These colleges were built and funded with California tax money for the education of California children.
Fran you got my vote
Fran, you and some of the other commenters seem to be confused. Unlike the UC and CSU systems, students generally do not apply to the community colleges from out of state. Many may be noncitizens, but they or their families came to California for other reasons, and they are already here.
Also, even with the fee increases, the in-state fees in the CSU and UC systems are far below what the student’s education actually costs, and out-of-state tuitions and fees are much higher. I remember reading something several months ago about the UCs trying to decide whether to admit more out-of-state students, and one of the “pros”mentioned was the money that they would bring in to the UCs because of the much higher tuition.
Let’s start with illegal aliens. We are in tough times and we (americans of all races, religions and genders) need to come first. Sorry but that is the reality. If there is a cut in grants then there is a cut in grants. I worked and paid my way through college it can be done. The response of there are no jobs is BS. Go work as a waiter or waitress.
Once you balance the budget the state will rebound. It will never rebound if we keep going the route we are going.
I think “shagdaddy” mentioned proof of Citizenship because he’s thinking ILLEGAL immigrants are the ones taking classes. I’m not sure if he’s confused of just ignorant. Many students in community colleges are LEGAL PERMANENT residents of the US with a greencard (http://preview.tinyurl.com/tplxt). But the interesting thing is that knowledge of the English language is not a requirement. I took many classes at my local community college prior and during my 4 years in a UC university to cheapen the cost towards my double major. Sooooo many of them did not speak English in my math and engineering courses, I’m not even saying they had an accent or messed up some words, they straight out have no idea what’s going to. How they got in is beyond me.
I don’t think cutting 31,500 students will help with their low budget. I guess raising enrollment cost would be helpful. Students that are clearly not doing well due to laziness needs to go. I just don’t think cutting education within your own community is a good idea.
more educated people = more future tax payers
Short sightedness got us into this mess in the first place. Cutting education will only perpetuate the cycle and infuse a higher number of people into the low labor category or worse yet, unemployed deviants. This isn’t a good thing folks.
It’s easy to look for quick fixes and escape goats, but it’s not so easy to tighten our belts and plan for the future. The same non english speaking, uneducated lot that you are trying to keep from getting educated are the ones that will in the future help pay into the tax system when they “grow up”.
Coming from an immigrant family myself, I can attest to the fact that I have paid back everything that the government has given me through student financial aid and more.
Although expensive, this make some of the market funded accredited universities look better all the time.
Although DeVry ( and other may cost $50,000) for a Bachelor of Science Degree - you do get marketble skills, job opportunity and graduate in around 3 years.
The option. Staying in the state system, living at home with mom and getting a degree at about age 25
I realize this would hurt some students, but why can’t they raise the fees per course-unit? Am I wrong in thinking that even a slight increase multiplied by the number of students would make some sort of impact?
I have a friend who loves her job as a community college teacher, but constantly worries about her job security. Sadly, she left a career in marketing because she found teaching more fulfilling. She teaches part time at many schools in order to survive financially; these teachers are called “freeway teachers.” Very few people seem to realize that at least 1/3 of community college teachers are part-time status who want full time status - but its not even an option because of state budget.
Community college fees currently set at $20 per unit is one of the lowest rates in the country. (per Legislative analyst’s office)
Since we are one of the lowest in the nation, we should increase community college fees to $40/unit to offset the budget deficit. Students are still getting a deal if they are guaranteed a spot into the UC system.
I attended a cc for four years, getting an AA degree, and then went on to earn a Bachelor’s and Master’s form a prestigious private University. I was blessed to get lots of aid, scholarships and to have some family money for those later years, but probably couldn’t have afforded to attend all my college years at the more expensive school. Our cc’s are very important institutions for our collective future. I know some very fine young people - children of immigrants, by the way - who will need the cc’s in order to ever afford a college education. It’s a worthy investment for anyone who wants to be educated.
I don’t think it will break anyone to raise the fees a little bit, and those who just can’t afford it will still have the opportunity for aid….I guess it’s a bit of a progressive tax, though, isn’t it….but the cc’s are still a very good value that we all who can afford it could stand to pay a bit more for.
I hope something is worked out to allow anyone who wants an education to attend. But let the users pay a fair share.
I agree that if it will make enough of a difference, it would be a good idea to raise fees for those who can afford it. Community colleges classes are a real bargain, and most of those who are paying them would still find the prices to be very reasonable even if they were raised.
I can only hope that the illegal ones are the first to go. I would be angry if one of my kids lost a spot to a foreign national.
And yes, raise the fees.
The bottom line is, the State of California spends over $12 Billion a year, on services and benefits for illegal immigrants. That figure includes schools. Anyone who doesn’t think that this is a huge factor in our huge deficit, is living in Fantasyland.
But Les remember that cutting these services is not ‘nice.’ The sense of entitlement astounds me.
And to the people who think the services provided to non legal residents in not causing problems… never mind its not even worth trying to explain to you.
Wait until truely bad things happen. They are coming, Californias as a whole will suffer greatly for this craziness we as a state have created. I feel nothing but sadness for my child as she nears being an adult.
No surprise that California, one of the richest but also most liberal state, especially in fiscal term, is the first state to go bankrupt. Now Californian socialist model with its highest tax rate, strictest enviromental protection rules, and very generous welfare and health care systems is copied by Obama administration with its ambitious, costly health care reform for everybody including 12 milliions illegal immigrants who would be naturalized under Obama immigration reform.
There are some very easy and concrete ways to reduce the costs of education:
1. Have the Gov eliminate his Secretary of Education. That position is to advise the Gov on education. It’s not rocket science that education is in trouble. Why the position and huge salary? A waste.
2. We all ready have a Superintendent of Education that runs the schools and advises the Gov and the Legislature on issues of education. This is an elected position so I would keep this one.
3. Eliminate or reduce County Offices of Education. They are a huge middle man in education with huge salaries by the top administration in them. Yes this whole extra layer is paid out of the California Education Budget. This is a place that really could use a major reduction.
4. We over pay Superintendents and Asst. Superintendents in school districts as well as high profile professors. Some will say we need to pay them to keep them. They will leave anyway as California is tanking. We just can’t afford them. We may lose 5 top high profile professors but keep 20 high quality professors.
Shingo,
It looks like the legislature is already with you on point 1. The highly paid top administrators at the county and district offices have a high profile, but how much would really be saved by cutting there? Most likely, any possible savings there are negligible, although I’d be interested in seeing the figures on this.
Many of the high profile professors bring in a lot more in research grant money than they cost in salaries and benefits, and some of this money goes to partially subsidize things like buildings and equipment that are used by others as well. While we may be unable to prevent some professors from leaving, losing the big name professors en masse would do serious long term harm to the univesities, since other promising prospects would be reluctant to come to a university system that throws away its top talent.
Every cent taken away from the schools and colleges is money that we will lose later on as a result of a less-educated public.
I work in the community college system, and know firsthand its many flaws, but the degree of misinformation in these comments is staggering to me and only perpetuates our state’s inability to address the erosion an education system that was once the envy of the world.
K-12, the CSU, and the UC all have line items in the state budget, but the community colleges do not, leaving their funding highly variable and vulnerable. Funding for most community colleges comes from a combination of state reimbursement (based on full-time-equivalent students enrolled), local property taxes, and student fees. For the record: Illegal aliens are prevented by law from getting state or federal aid. AB540 allows undocumented students to pay the same fees as residents if they meet certain criteria, but this is a tiny fraction of students. These are also people who generally want to stay here and contribute to society and the economy, but who were brought here as children when they had no control of the situation.
The state is verging on insolvency and property tax revenues have crashed with the wave of foreclosures, leaving only student fees relatively steady. Some have suggested fees as high as triple their current level, but even with continuing jumps in enrollment, this still will not close the gap, and will absolutely drive thousands from college. It is the perfect storm, and students returning to the CC’s this fall will likely pay higher fees, receive little support, and will have a much harder time getting classes.
This year alone, California faces a very real prospect of losing 250,000 community college students. Most are people who, once out of school will not come back. This contributes to a permanent underclass of people who lack employable skills and will be a drain on the state economy. The CC’s also face the loss of thousands of employees, further crippling the state’s best option for re-training workers and generating economic recovery. This is both a financial and a social tragedy.