Education: Chancellor Says Grossmont-Cuyamaca Still Underfunded By the State
The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College board recently adopted the largest budget in the district’s history.
But the $126 million budget still ranks near the bottom of the statewide funding scale, and administrators think it’s not enough to address the district’s largest financial challenges , adequate funding on a per-student basis and major construction projects at the El Cajon colleges.
According to Chancellor Omero Suarez, the Grossmont-Cuyamaca district is among the state’s lowest funded districts on a per-student basis.
“It’s true that we have more funding,” Suarez said. “But the fact of the matter remains that we continue to be funded at the 65th level from the top (out of 71 districts).
“If we were funded the average amount, we would have an additional $3 million in our budget, but we don’t.”
The Grossmont-Cuyamaca district is not the only area community College funded at the bottom. Southwestern College in Chula Vista ranks 70th, San Diego City College ranks 60rd and Palomar College in North County ranks 56th.
The funding disparity is a result of the 1978 property tax rates frozen in place by Proposition 13, Suarez said. Before its passage, community colleges could raise taxes to garner more money to run the schools. Proposition 13 shifted funding responsibility to the state level.
On average, the state spends $3,462 a year on each student, according to the state Legislative Analyst’s Office. But the disparity is seen from district to district.
Low Totals
The Grossmont-Cuyamaca district received approximately $3,400 this year per full-time student, while top-funded schools, like West Kern near Bakersfield, receive around $7,500 per full-time student.
Southwestern gets $3,200 per student, and San Diego City gets $3,324.
The district made an unsuccessful attempt to level the playing field recently by presenting a $45 million bill to the state. The bill was supported by both the state Assembly and Senate, but was vetoed by the governor. The funding would have been divided among 56 of the districts that have routinely received low funding.
The chancellor said he is actively working with a task force, appointed by the state community college chancellor, to close the disparity in funding.
“It’s critical that we are funded on a more equal level,” he said. “We should try to look at each other comparing apples to apples.”
Without additional funding, Suarez said the district can’t offer the number of programs or classes needed to accommodate the growing student enrollment. The district is also unable to meet the state mandate of having 75 percent full-time and 25 percent part-time faculty members.
Bonds Funds Construction
The current budget allows for the district to serve more than 23,000 students this year. The district is involved in the greatest number of construction and remodeling projects since the East County colleges were built, but they are primarily funded by state bond money.
The budget includes restricted and unrestricted operating funds, $2.8 million in block grants from the state for instructional materials and technology, and a $2.97 million contingency reserve (the reserve, by board policy, is 5 percent of the previous year’s actual unrestricted general fund expenditures).
Compared to last year’s actual expenditures, Grossmont College will receive a $7.38 million increase in the 2000-01 budget. Grossmont’s allocated funds total more than $9.9 million. Cuyamaca College will receive $2.7 million more this year for a total of $4.4 million in allocated funds.
On the other hand, administrators said more is needed to meet the needs of both campuses over the next 10 years.
Gary Kendrick, president of the college’s governing board, said the current budget is sufficient for the day-to-day needs of the district, but said the colleges’ master plans have more than $60 million in new facilities needed over the next decade.
The district has 12 projects on the drawing board to be completed by 2010. Five of those projects, which total more than $31 million, will either break ground or open in 2001. Projects planned for Grossmont College and their estimated prices include: a $17 million library/learning resource center; a $5.2 million technology mall; a $13 million new science building; expansion of the student center; additional classrooms and lab space; and the consolidated student service center.
At Cuyamaca, plans call for a $4.5 million student administration center; a $3.5 million child development center; a $4 million student activity center; a $19 million science and technology mall; a $26 million communication arts building; and a new math center.
New and expanded buildings on both campuses are deemed a priority for the district to meet the anticipated growth during that time period.
This year alone, the district expects 1,000 more students to take classes on both campuses. Enrollment at Grossmont is expected to reach 16,000 students, and 7,000 at Cuyamaca College.
