Center facing class cuts

State budget cuts could mean the end of classes ranging from Tai’Chi to line dancing for local seniors at Oasis Senior Center.

“We don’t have any idea at this point what is going to happen,” said Laura Detweiler, director of recreation and senior services in Newport Beach. “These classes are very popular, and our seniors enjoy taking part in those activities, so we hope we don’t see a reduction in them.”

City officials expect to have a clearer view later this month on whether or not budget cuts will affect any of the classes, Detweiler said.

Newport Beach has long partnered with Coastline Community College to provide low-cost classes for seniors through the Oasis Senior Center.

The courses are popular with local seniors, said Evelyn Hart, who sits on the board of directors for Friends of Oasis, a nonprofit group that supports the center.

“We’ve had people say [the classes] have turned their lives around when they had a stroke or something, and got them back to feeling really good again,” Hart said.

Coastline offers 15 classes to seniors through the senior center.

The community college is looking at creative ways to keep cuts to the classes to a minimum, said Betty Disney, who oversees Coastline’s emeritus education program.

“We have been limiting the number of students that can take a class, and that’s where some of the hard decisions come into play,” Disney said.

By putting a cap of 45 students per class and shortening two-hour classes to one-hour classes, Coastline hopes to avoid cutting classes for seniors in the face of state budget cuts, Disney said.

Despite these cost-saving measures, Disney said she still isn’t certain what the future holds, but she’s optimistic.

“What I’m hearing from Coastline is that we value these classes, we value our community, and we really don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize their learning experience more than anyone else,” Disney said.

The latest budget deal Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed earlier this week slashed $935 million in state funding from community colleges.

The budget deal cut $2 billion from higher education in the state from a $58-billion base.

Classes Offered

 Oil and acrylic painting

 Freehand drawing

 Strength training

 Tai’Chi Chuan

 Line dancing

 History of Orange County

 Functional fitness

 Physical training