With the possible exception of Chevron, no one escaped July’s budget deal unharmed.

Even the world’s eighth largest economy will inflict serious carnage on its residents if it’s squeezed dry. With unemployment rates over 12 percent, the positive news from Congress or the Federal Reserve provides little solace; the Golden State has yet to witness the recovery.

While the Legislature was able to modestly preserve the three biggest programs slated for elimination – CalWORKs, Health Families and Cal Grants – it’s just a matter of time before they’re back on the chopping block. K-12 and community colleges would have been cut much deeper if legislators had free reign. Thankfully, they were stopped by state constitutional funding minimums and a federal maintenance of effort.

In this era of budgetary free-fall, community college career technical education (CTE) fared better than expected. The Budget Act specifically recognizes that CTE, along with transfer and basic skills, is a core mission of the community colleges. The Budget Act calls upon districts to preserve its core functions and cut in other areas.

In the July Budget Act, the Legislature took the extraordinary step of separating categorical programs into two clusters, “protected” and “unprotected” (see tables below). The budgets of “unprotected” categoricals can be raided by local trustee boards to support other categorical programs in either cluster, while the funding of “protected” categoricals cannot dip below that provided in the Budget Act. The General Fund can support categoricals in either cluster, but not vice-versa.

The line-item for SB 70 CTE programs ($20M – not SB1133 funds) unintentionally fell into the cluster of “unprotected” categoricals, but the Chancellor’s Office, in conjunction with the Legislature and Administration is converting it to “protected” status. This is a huge victory for CTE which underscores its popularity with both political parties.

At the eleventh hour, the Legislature agreed to provide K-12 and community colleges with a Maintenance Factor of $11.2 billion, reflecting a gap in payment caused by the down economy. This Maintenance Factor is a fiscal obligation to be paid at a later date, intended to allow education to recover from the recession.

While community colleges were pleased to hear they would receive a portion of the $11.2 billion, they were extremely disappointed to learn their portion would be far below the 11 percent normally considered as the “Proposition 98 split.” The eight percent assigned to community colleges is a paltry sum destined to provoke heated arguments in the months ahead. Equally surprising was the determination that a portion of the community college Maintenance Factor is destined solely for CTE. Others in the community colleges want this limitation removed – stay tuned for the fireworks ahead.

Despite the fact that CTE emerged slightly better than other programs, there is no reason to celebrate, as everyone, including CTE, got whacked hard and is coping with the aftershocks. The community colleges workload obligation is shrinking by 3.39 percent – akin to “negative growth” – while the budgets for categorical programs were slashed beyond recognition. The Economic and Workforce Development categorical, moreover, was left unprotected, and it remains to be seen whether local trustees support this function.

What to do?
Surviving contemporary realities will not be easy, but we don’t have a choice. We cannot allow despair to paralyze our advocacy. Our traditional students rely upon us; the students squeezed out of the four-year institutions are discovering us; military veterans depend upon us; the newly unemployed have nowhere else to go.

Consider this: without adequate funding, the California Postsecondary Education Commission predicts an excess enrollment demand of 400,000 students. Nearly one-half million students who could benefit from our education may be turned away. Where will they go?

Promoting ignorance over education is not the hallmark of an enlightened society.

That leads us back to advocacy, both at the district and the state. Administrators, classified staff, faculty members and students can no longer remain quiet. We all need to educate local trustees about categorical programs, whether protected or unprotected. Their decision to move dollars around should not be reduced to clinical, formulaic calculations; these programs substantially change lives.  

Our legislators also need to hear from us, today, tomorrow, next week, next month. Take the time to visit your state legislators’ offices. It’s best to go with a team representing a cross-section of the campus, with the focal point on the student. Explain the devastating impact of the budget cuts on CTE and economic development, emphasizing that community colleges are a fundamental driver to our state’s prosperity. Once you have visited, stay in touch. They need to hear from you again and again.

It’s also important to stay connected with CCCAOE through its conferences and Website, www.cccaoe.org.The leadership team at CCCAOE has elevated the cause of CTE and our role in Economic Development to new heights, but its ability to continue this momentum requires your participation.

We can and will survive troubled times as long as we make it the priority. That will take time, energy and resources. Let’s ensure that we’re up to the challenge.

1. Apprenticeship
2. Career-Technical Education*
3. Child Care Tax Bailout
4. Economic Development
5. Equal Employment Opp.
6. Matriculation
7. Part-time Faculty Compensation, Health Insurance and Office Hours
8. Physical Plant/Instr. Equip.
9. Transfer Ed and Articulation

*Career Technical Education intended to be a “protected” categorical; now moving to “protected” status.

Protected Categoricals

1. Basic Skills
2. CalWORKs
3. Disabled Students (DSPS)
4. EOPS and CARE
5. Foster Care Education
6. Fund for Student Success
7. Nursing
8. Student Financial Aid Admin
9. Telecomm and Technology

  Jonathan Lightman, Executive Director~FACCC

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