Proposition 92 aims to reduce student fees by $5 per unit and make several other changes to the state’s Constitution, in hopes of securing much-needed funding for California’s growing community colleges.
Also known as the Community College Initiative, Proposition 92 will appear on the Feb. 5 ballot alongside the presidential primary election, and will affect more than 2.5 million students at California’s 109 community colleges.
“The most direct impact on students is that the initiative will lower student fees, currently at $20 per unit, to $15 per unit,” said Pierce College President Robert Garber. “It will also establish a mechanism so that any fee increases are predictable and moderated, rather than just a reaction to financial circumstances.”
Garber was referring to a mechanism that would prevent fees from increasing by a higher percentage than that of the per capita income of California residents, with a maximum allowable increase of 10 percent.
This means that if fees were currently $15 per unit and the decision was made to increase them, the maximum amount by which they could be increased would be $1.50 per unit.
The proposed decrease in fees to $15 per unit, although presumably welcomed by the students of California’s 72 community college districts, will cause a loss in statewide fee revenues of approximately $70 million in the 2007-2008 school year.
However, Proposition 92 would also separate community colleges from K-12 schools, in an effort to secure a more appropriate portion of Proposition 98 funding for community colleges as the demographics of California’s schools go through major shifts. This increase in funding is believed to be sufficient to counteract the losses caused by lower fees, according to a position paper by the Valley Industry and Commerce Association.
Community colleges receive funding from Proposition 98, which was designed to set aside a certain amount of the state general fund to pay for kindergarten through community college education, according to Garber.
“Right now, community colleges receive a portion of Proposition 98 money,” Garber said. “The formula for calculating how much that amount would be looks at either the general fund revenue or the per capita income of people in the state, plus a factor of K-12 enrollment.
“So, as K-12 enrollment goes up, it affects the amount of (Proposition) 98 money set aside. In other words, the more students, the more money.
“Community colleges get a portion of (the money), but our enrollments are not factored into that formula.” Under the current system, community colleges are supposed to be receiving a level of funding no lower than 11 percent of the total amount allotted by Proposition 98, according to the California Teachers Association, who oppose the measure. This minimum level is routinely missed, and they currently receive somewhere between 10 and 11 percent.
Proposition 92 would set the percentage at 10.46 percent, which is lower than the current percentage, but the new level would be guaranteed.
With the current system, community college funding would actually decrease significantly as our enrollment numbers grow. Pierce’s enrollment numbers hit a 22-year high this semester, with more than 20,000 students.
“Proposition 92 will provide a formula for funding community colleges based on the college-aged population of schools,” said Roger Salazar, spokesman for the advocacy group Yes on 92.
This is especially significant now, as several elements are negatively impacting recent enrollment numbers at K-12 schools. A downward trend has already begun, even as community college enrollment numbers continue to rise, according to Garber.
“I haven’t seen the data, but I was told that you can see the curve starting to drop off,” Garber said. “Kindergartners entering the system this year are noticeably fewer than the numbers from the same time last year.”
Some of this decline in enrollment can be attributed to lower birthrates, likely a result of the end of the baby boomers era.
“I’m a baby boomer myself, and my kids are finishing college now,” Garber said.
Locally, two other factors are having a significant impact on K-12 numbers: soaring real estate prices and the rise of charter schools. Dozens of new charter schools drew thousands of students away from the Los Angeles Unified School District this year.
As a result of these factors, this year LAUSD’s numbers fell by more than 20,000. Proposition 92 would also establish a system of independent public community college districts, along with a Board of Governors.
“It sets in the Constitution an independent Board of Governors, and adds teacher and student representation to the board,” Salazar said.
“It places the current bilateral Board of Governors system into the Constitution, protecting local control of the schools,” said Jennifer Wonnacott, campaign spokeswoman for Yes on 92.
Proposition 92 will appear on the ballot statewide on Feb. 5 during the presidential primary elections. This means that voter turnout will be high.
“Anything that drives voters out to vote is a good thing,” Wonnacott said of the initiative’s concurrence with the presidential primaries. “Voters tend to support community colleges, so the more people voting, the better.” As with any measure placed on a ballot, though, the Community College Initiative is not without its opposition.
The California Teachers Association is the largest professional-employee organization in California. The CTA represents approximately 340,000 teachers, most of whom are K-12 educators. They believe that Proposition 92 is “not well-written,” citing, among other things, the fact that it would require a four-fifths legislative vote to make any changes after it passes into law.
“The CTA strongly supports funding for California community colleges, however we don’t believe that this particular initiative is the right way to achieve that goal,” said Sandra Jackson, a CTA spokeswoman. The debate over Proposition 92 will likely continue to heat up as Feb. 5 approaches. In the end, though, its fate will lie in the hands of California’s voters.
The deadline for voter registration in California is 15 days prior to the election, or Jan. 21 in this case.
To register by phone, call (800) 481-VOTE. For the full text of Proposition 92, go to http://ag.ca.gov/initiatives/pdf/06-0030.pdf