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Anticipating a different governor with new education priorities, California’s community college system is requesting $488 million in extra funding from the state for the 2019-2020 budget year.
The Board of Governors, the body that oversees the system’s 115 colleges, approved the budget request on Monday to fund new and ongoing programs.
The board is seeking a nearly 5 percent increase over its current-year state budget of just over $10 billion.
The extra funding is centered around the system’s goals to improve student graduation, transfer rates and certificate completion known as “Vision for Success,” a roadmap enacted last year to improve outcomes for the system’s more than 2 million students. Last year the board asked for a budget that increased its $9.5 billion budget by $382 million.
The request is the opening round in budget negotiations between the college system, the Legislature and the governor’s office, an annual process that culminates in a new state budget which the Legislature is slated to approve next June. The budget request excludes money typically added to some state education programs to cover rising inflation costs.
Christian Osmeña, vice chancellor of college facilities and finance planning for the college system, said during the board meeting that the 2019-20 budget will be the first in nearly a decade under a new governor. Gov. Jerry Brown’s successor will be elected on Nov. 6. Osmeña said the community college system will have to “better learn the next governor’s priorities,” Osmeña said.
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor who has a wide lead over his opponent John Cox in the polls, has already indicated that increased higher education funding will be a top priority in his administration.
Cox, in a June interview with EdSource, said college affordability can be achieved by reducing costs. “My educational experiences really have been shaped in terms of having to pay my own tuition bills — no scholarships, no loans. But it was affordable 40 years ago,” he said.
About 60 percent of the community college system’s budget comes from state Proposition 98 funds, the 30-year-old voter-approved initiative that ensures a minimum amount of money for K-12 schools and community colleges. Community colleges typically receive about 11 percent of Prop. 98 money, which has grown from $47.3 billion in 2011-12 to more than $78 billion in 2018-19 thanks to a strengthening economy and higher tax revenues.
As budget negotiations move closer to the June deadline, state officials will have a better picture of how much money the community colleges will receive through Prop 98. Osmeña said the budget approved by the governing board is more a statement of funding priorities for the system. “Many of the conversations we’re having are around how do you distribute the funds,” he said.
Highlights from the budget request include:
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Michael Modest 4 years ago4 years ago
Also a question: it appears to me that CA community colleges are well funded by the Legislature, yet they all seem to ask for bonds to fund various things. I am all for funding community colleges well, and I am willing to pay extra taxes for that, but I find bonds a terrible vehicle: for every $1 in funding they get, there will be at least $3 in interest payments (wasted), plus money for buildings … Read More
Also a question: it appears to me that CA community colleges are well funded by the Legislature, yet they all seem to ask for bonds to fund various things. I am all for funding community colleges well, and I am willing to pay extra taxes for that, but I find bonds a terrible vehicle: for every $1 in funding they get, there will be at least $3 in interest payments (wasted), plus money for buildings never seems to include money for upkeep. Am I seeing this wrong?
Elaine Herrell 4 years ago4 years ago
More of a question. San Bernardino Valley Community College received say $4000 for a student financial aid (Pell Grant C). The tuition fee covered under the Dream Act $690. Now after the student registers for classes and the school get the $690 plus the out of pocket student fee of $31 plus $20 for parking. Then the college revoked the Pell Grant leaving the low income homeless student with no way to complete their course … Read More
More of a question. San Bernardino Valley Community College received say $4000 for a student financial aid (Pell Grant C). The tuition fee covered under the Dream Act $690. Now after the student registers for classes and the school get the $690 plus the out of pocket student fee of $31 plus $20 for parking. Then the college revoked the Pell Grant leaving the low income homeless student with no way to complete their course work and end up with drawing form all classes. Is the Pell Grant sent back to the government asap? Or does the money remain with the school till the end of term, collecting interest in the schools account? The school already came up $740 for the student now the student is dropped and the school provides them with nothing. The college received $740 for one student to attend classes for 2 weeks and then the interest for the $4000 (Pell Grant) sitting in their account till June?
Michael B Reiner 6 years ago6 years ago
The additional dollars requested to provide incentive to change the funding formula from simply FTES (Full-Time Equivalent Students) to one which also tries to given extra resources to colleges with low income students and reward institutions helping students to achieve success, is a long overdue policy initiative. While the exact formula to be used may not make all happy, and may have unintended consequences at first, it will no doubt be tweaked as the issues emerge to make it better.