When the California state legislature failed to approve a
2003-2004 budget last week, government funding temporarily ceased
at community colleges across the state, forcing the schools to use
limited financial reserves or face closing campuses.
The state’s inability to give appropriations to any of its
72 community college districts will also be felt among students
at UCLA, where many rely on community colleges for more
affordable summer and academic-year courses.
The current situation in Sacramento is not unfamiliar to many
Californians ““ in 2002, the budget was not passed until Sept.
5 ““ but due to a California Supreme Court ruling in May,
State Controller Steve Westly is prohibited from allocating funding
to community colleges until the new fiscal-year budget is
approved.
This situation has required many schools, like the Santa Monica
and Glendale community colleges, to apply a financial Band-Aid.
“Most colleges have the reserves to get through July and
into August, but if we don’t have a budget by August, there
will be serious consequences that could include some campuses being
shut down,” said Linda Michalowski, a spokeswoman for the
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
The L.A. Community College District, which includes Los Angeles
City College and West Los Angeles College, has already let go of
more than 500 part-time employees, said LACCD Chancellor Mark
Drummond.
Drummond said his district is fighting to stay fiscally solvent,
but if mid-August comes and a budget has still not been passed, the
schools could close.
“There is about a 5 percent chance of hanging up a
“˜gone fishing’ sign and closing the doors,” he
said.
For many community colleges, it is imperative that a budget is
approved by early fall. Otherwise, community college patrons will
find it more difficult to get the classes they need. Santa Monica
College, for example, is offering 15 percent fewer classes for
fall, said Director of marketing Don Girard.
The woes of community colleges are trickling to UCLA
students.
Margaret Tchakerian, assistant director of the College of
Letters & Science counseling, said this will hurt first- and
second-year students most because 50 percent of their summer
courses are taken at community colleges.
The situation is particularly touchy for Aaron Goodenough, who
walked at UCLA’s commencement this June, but is finishing his
foreign language requirement at Moorpark College this summer.
“I don’t know what would happen if school closed. It
would throw off all my plans, and I don’t know when I would
be able to finish college,” he said.
But Tchakerian does not believe any consequences of the budget
impasse could be this catastrophic for students.
“I don’t think it will mean a student’s
graduation will be delayed, but a student, rather than going to a
community college, may have to go to UCLA summer sessions,”
she said.
Though many community colleges deny the prospect of shutting
down, borrowing money will be difficult.
The state of California currently has the worst credit rating of
any state in the country, and the longer it takes for the budget to
be approved, the further that rating drops.
“Seeing different parts of the state shut down (i.e.
community colleges) and seeing our credit rating drop to junk may
be just what it takes to move people (to approve a budget),”
said Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood.
The holdup, he said, is a result of politics.
“That’s 100 percent of it,” Koretz said.
As the Legislature seeks to close a $38 billion deficit,
Republicans continue to refuse any budget that includes tax
increases while Democrats continue to advocate a tax increase and
try to mitigate further cuts to state programs.
Koretz said the budget impasse has no visible end, and could
conceivably last into 2004.
“This year’s budget process is like a mystery
novel,” he said.