Schools see $38 million more in cuts

Christine Carrillo

Gov. Gray Davis walloped California’s community colleges with a

$38-million blow Wednesday, announcing yet another cut to the

schools’ budgets.

The blow, which frustrated district and college officials

throughout the state, was announced even though the state Legislature

has yet to agree on an exact amount of midyear cuts for the fiscal

2002-03 year.

The latest cut, resulting from underestimating the state’s

property tax revenue, struck 68 districts for no less than $62,000

each.

The Coast Community College District had the fourth highest amount

cut. It is expected to lose about $1.3 million, in addition to the $5

to $9 million already expected by the end of the fiscal year, which

occurs June 30.

“The broad picture is, our budgets are just getting slashed

disproportionately,” said Erin Cohn, the director of public affairs

for the district. “We’re going to do whatever we can to not let that

happen, but the community colleges are being asked to bear a much

larger burden than the UCs and Cal States.”

While the state expects the Coast district to cut about 10% of its

funding this year, Orange Coast College officials anticipate that

they’ll have to add yet another $1 million to $2.8 million in cuts

expected at the college.

“We think that with the cuts that we’ve made and with the reserve

that our district does carry that we will be able to accommodate

these cuts,” said Jim Carnett, director of community relations for

the college. “It really affects us as a district. It really does, and

we’re all really counting on the other being as efficient as we can

be.”

Having incorporated the possibility that cuts would exceed their

estimated $2.8-million goal, OCC won’t experience any immediate

repercussions, said Gene Farrell, the college’s interim president.

And the district seems to have followed a similar path.

“In anticipation of those cuts, we have been looking for all kinds

of ways we can save money, be frugal and not spend,” Cohn said.

“We’re doing everything we can to try to minimize the impact on

students ... but there’s only so much we can do.”

College and district officials fear even steeper cuts in the year

ahead.

“Starting in January, we had reduced sections, stopped purchasing

and implemented a hiring freeze,” Farrell said. “We’re going to be OK

this year. ... I just think that there will be more to come.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at christine.carrillo@latimes.com.