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Community college funding bill crushed

Written by Adrian Rivas, Editor in Chief

Monday, 03 March 2008

Proposition 92 went down to defeat in the February election. The community colleges, funding, governance, fees, initiative constitutional amendment and statute was a failure as it did not receive the support that would have helped community colleges by lowering education fees. It would have changed current minimum education requirements into two separate classifications: one for K-12 schools and one for community colleges. It also would have formally established the community colleges in the state constitution as well as increased the size of the community colleges’ state governing board and the board’s administrative authority. Basically it would have increased state spending on K-12 education from 2007-08 through 2009-10 averaging about $300 million per year. Prop 92 was shot down in flames as 57 percent of Californians voted no and only 43 percent voted yes. One of the concerns of opponents of the initiative was that it did not have spending controls and would have siphoned money away from other areas because it lacked a new source of revenue. Some experts speculate it would have raised taxes. California community colleges are probably the first choice of higher education for the majority of Californians. When prices for education went up, the number of students attending community college declined. What is interesting is that education advocates approved it while the California Teacher’s Association opposed it. Those who oppose the proposition argued that at $20 per unit California has some of the lowest community college fees in the nation, which is true, but we also have one of the highest costs of living. What it boils down to was that if Proposition 92 wanted a chance of passing it was going to have to raise taxes at one point and with the state deficit soaring at a projected $8.6 billion for 2008-09, it’s chances of being approved was slim.

Last Updated ( Monday, 03 March 2008 )

 

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