OCC a good model for handling budget
Any agency reliant on state funding knows that cuts are on the way
and, as a result, has an extremely important responsibility at hand.
Orange Coast College officials estimate their expected midyear
loss at $6 million and have already begun making decisions to
accommodate it. So far, so good.
OCC last week decided to send money it receives from the weekend
swap meet on its campus toward for-credit classes. Up until now, the
funding has traditionally been used on the school’s professional arts
series, which brings performers such as Debbie Reynolds to campus. As
enjoyable as these performances may be, college officials made a wise
decision to put students first.
It is an unfortunate inevitability that class sections will be cut
at not only OCC but throughout the Coast Community College District.
But the fewer courses cut, the less students will suffer.
OCC officials know this and, while proposing cuts of about 1,000
class sections over the next year to save $3 million, they also have
plans that save $500,000 from the swat meet revenues, about $500,000
in office supplies and another $2 million in savings through a hiring
freeze and retirements.
While some of these obviously will hurt students and staff, it
could be worse, as it will be at other state-funded entities. College
officials obviously are doing their best to avoid staff layoffs and
cutting more courses. For this, everyone should be appreciative.
At the same time, other agencies -- including the cities of Costa
Mesa and Newport Beach and the Newport-Mesa Unified School District
-- should take note. There are tough decisions at hand, but they can
be made more painless than others.
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