Kenneth D. Yglesias
As chancellor at a community college district that receives less per
student in state funding than most colleges in the state, I was
thrilled that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger included $40 million for
equalization in his May revise budget.
That $40 million is an important second step in a multi-year plan
to equalize funding per student at every community college in the
state, including several community colleges in Orange County that are
"underfunded" compared with colleges in other parts of the state.
For example, an Orange County family could have children attending
three different community colleges -- one playing football at Los
Angeles Harbor College in San Pedro, another going through the
Criminal Justice Training Center at Golden West College in Huntington
Beach, and another attending classes at Fullerton College.
All three may be enrolled in 15 units in a given semester. The
state of California reimburses Harbor $4,037 for that student's
attendance, $3,850 to Golden West College for its student, and $3,806
to Fullerton College for the student taking 15 units there.
Looking at this hypothetical situation from a macroeconomic
perspective, if each college had 10,000 full-time students attending
in a semester, it is easy to see how this disparity in funding
becomes an issue. Los Angeles Harbor College would be receiving
$40.37 million, Golden West would receive $38.5 million and Fullerton
College would get $38.06 million to provide the same level of
services to the same amount of students.
It is obvious that students at lower-funded districts are being
shortchanged.
The problem of inequitable funding goes back decades, and means
that students at our colleges receive a lower, unequal investment in
their education than do students in other areas of the state.
While our colleges are masterful at "doing more with less," this
disparity in funding does affect the number of course offerings and
the level of services we can provide our students.
I believe Orange County's students deserve the same level of
support as students in other parts of the state, and will continue to
fight to stop Orange County' s students from being shortchanged in
this way by fighting for funding equalization.
The 2004-05 state budget included the first $80 million to begin
equalizing these disparities. That first installment for equalization
brought $3 million in new, ongoing funding to the Coast Community
College District. This funding is now available to our three colleges
