April 19, 2005
INFORMATION: John McElwain or John Green, (661) 362-3494 or 3684
$1 Million Windfall Could be Headed to College of the Canyons
SANTA CLARITA California’s revenue picture is looking rosier, and that’s good news for College of the Canyons, which stands to gain $1 million in funding from a piece of proposed legislation. Assembly Bill 317, authored by Mervyn Dymally, would provide $80 million in equalization funding to California Community Colleges. The bill aims to correct a longstanding problem with community college funding.
Although every district in the California Community Colleges system performs the same vital functions of preparing students to transfer or enter the workforce, each district receives varying levels of per-student funding, ranging from a high of $5,481 to a low of $3,708 per full-time equivalent student (FTES). College of the Canyons currently ranks 53rd out of the state’s 72 community college districts in per-FTES funding, receiving $3,721.
AB 317 picks up where last year’s Senate Bill 1875, authored by Senator Dede Alpert, left off. SB 1875 provided $80 million to the community colleges for equalization in the 2004-05 budget year, but it was a one-time appropriation. AB 317 will provide another $80 million in the 2005-06 budget year.
The bill passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee April 5, and is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Subcommittee on Higher Education Finance April 20. Recognizing the importance of this legislation, and what the additional funds would mean to the community, several local business leaders stepped up to offer their support of AB 317 by writing letters to members of the Assembly Higher Education Committee. Those who did so were:
- Bill Kennedy, vice president of sales, Gruber Systems
- Dan Goetz, president and chief operating officer, UltraViolet Devices Inc.
- Doug Sink, chief financial officer, Remo Inc.
- Charlie Gill, president, Integrated Property Services Group Inc.
If AB 317 is passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor, it will provide more than $1 million in general fund revenue to College of the Canyons.
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