Prop. 92 -- Community Colleges Recommendation: YES What does Prop 9 Do? (1) Lowers community college student fees to $15 a unit & limits increases to the cost of living (2) Guarantees minimum funding for community college growth (3) Does not hurt K-12 funding (4) Does not raise taxes (5) Guarantees a system of independent community college districts. Why Prop 92? Community College funding is currently based on K-12 enrollment under Prop 98, passed by voters 20 years ago. While K-12 enrollments are in decline, demand for community colleges is projected to increase by some 100,000 students in the next three years alone. Prop 92 funds growth for these expected new students, opens access, and protects students from prohibitive fee increases. Under current Prop 98 funding formulas, 60% of these students will be shut out. Moreover, when there is a budget crunch in California, Sacramento always balances its budgets on the backs of college students and the poor. In 2004 and 2005 community college fees were increased by over 150%. The result... between 250,000 and 300,000 students were priced out of the system. Instead of a single funding stream for K-12 and community colleges, which is then split between the two segments, Prop 92 provides each segment its own minimum funding guarantee. Passage of Prop 92 is the best opportunity to guarantee that all Californians will have access to an affordable and quality college education and be able to get ahead. This is the unmet promise of the State's Master Plan for Higher Education. Who attends community colleges? 2.5 million students, mainly working class and low-income youth and adults. The average student is 28 year old. 60% of the student population is female. 30% of all Latinos in the U.S. who are attending college today are enrolled in a California Community College. And there are 90,000 more African American students in community colleges than in both the CSU and UC systems combined. 250,000 Californians from Asian and Pacific Islander backgrounds are enrolled in the Community Colleges. Community colleges give students who did not finish high school a second chance. 2/3rds of CSU graduates and 1/3rd of UC graduates begin their college careers at a community college. Prop 92 offers low-income and working class people access to education and a route to a decent standard of living. Prop 92 is a good investment of public dollars Community college students who earned an Associate degree or vocational certificate saw their wages jump from $25,600 to $47,571 three years after graduating. Research shows that for every dollar spent on community college education, California gets $3 back in taxes. The State spends much less in a year to educate a community college student than it spends in any of the other sectors: $8,133 per student in K-12 schools; $11,624 in the Cal State system, $18,203 in the UC system, compared to a mere $4,500 per student in the community colleges. The money needed to roll back student fees and provide a gateway to the middle class will continue to come from the state's general fund. But Prop 92 does not call for new taxes or cause any other sector to suffer. The money to fund this proposition will come from the future growth in state revenue, including increased taxes paid by a more educated workforce. Prop 92 assures local governance of the community colleges Prop 92 guarantees local control of the community colleges -- to keep the "community" in community colleges by maintaining the governance structure administered by local elected Boards of Trustees. Prop 92 establishes the community colleges as a third higher education system in the California. The community colleges will no longer be an appendage of the K-12 system. The California Community Colleges system will finally have its own funding method, as do the Cal State and the UC systems. Endorsers include: (partial list, additions to be made) Peralta Federation of Teachers, California Federation of Teachers, Faculty Association of the California Community Colleges, California Community College Independents, Community Colleges Association of the CTA, California Federation of Labor, State Building and Construction Trades, Nicky Gonzales Yuen, etc., other Peralta Bd Members, etc., Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club Responding to ballot arguments against Prop 92 The ballot arguments against Prop 92 are signed by officers of the California Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Action Committee, the California Taxpayers' Association, the California Roundtable, and the California Teachers Association. The ballot arguments against Prop 92 use familiar scare tactics to dissuade voters. They say Prop 92 will cause more problems than it solves. They say Prop 92 will lock in spending increases for community colleges which could lead to funding cuts for K-12 schools, state colleges and universities, health and public safety; and could result in higher taxes. Proponents say that these concerns are short-sighted. Funding for community college education is a crucial investment in our future. For each dollar the community colleges spend, the state eventually gets $3 back in taxes paid by a more educated workforce. Our community colleges provide vocational training and academic education for more than 2.5 million students per year, compared to 180,000 students at UCs and 380,000 at CSUs. Two-thirds of all CSU graduates and one-third of all UC grads began at community colleges. Under-funding and restricting access to community colleges is self-defeating. We must protect this vital investment in the future of our state and its people. Prop 92 goes a long way toward solving the problem of access to public higher education for every Californian, fulfilling the promise of the State's Master Plan for Higher Education. If voters pass Prop 92, we'll be opening the doors to better economic prospects for more people and for the society as a whole. A better educated workforce is key. Prop 92 is the only current initiative to address the looming shortage of educated workers. The consequences of NOT assuring access to the education and job preparation provided by the community colleges will be dire for upcoming generations and California's economy. Prop 92 is consistent with Green values of equity, fairness, and access. Greens will continue to call for more state resources for K-12 schools, state colleges and universities, healthcare, public safety, social services, AND community colleges. If increased state revenues are needed, all human services sectors must unite in advocating for a just tax system. Greens have always called for a just and progressive tax structure, and will continue to do so. Reasonable approaches include reinstating higher income tax rates (10% and 11%) for wealthier taxpayers and ending corporate tax breaks under Prop 13. Rather than implement tax increases which require a 2/3 majority vote, the legislature has -- by simple majority votes -- increased community college fees (which technically are not taxes) and cut community college funding. By passing Prop 92 we can end the legislature's practice of balancing the state budget at the expense of the community colleges and their students. Prop 92 will protect the Community College system and its students against this corrupt and opportunistic budgeting. Proponents are concerned about CTA's opposition to Prop 92 when its community college section, the Community College Association, is in support. Proponents are also concerned about the alliance between the CTA and business/conservative tax-payer interests. Proponents are surprised that the opponents appear not to recognize the value of the community colleges for the state's economic growth. The community colleges train nurses, diesel mechanics, childcare workers, construction workers, computer technicians. They are the first step for thousands of students who go on to become teachers, physicians, engineers, social workers, planners, and business professionals. They prepare people for work in the expanding sector of green industry. The community colleges retrain workers experiencing job loss from injury, down-sizing, plant closures, export of jobs. The community colleges are an important alternative to the military's economic draft. The opposing ballot argument claims that Prop 92 gives community colleges preferential treatment. But while Prop 98 (passed in1988) mandates that 10.93% of the K-14 education budget should go to community colleges, every year the legislature has suspended that requirement and cut the funding to an average of about 10.4%. Far from being "preferential treatment," this has resulted in funding cuts of almost $5 billion over the past 15 years. Community colleges are funded at a significantly lower rate than the other systems of higher education in the state: at a little more than one-third of what CSUs receive per student and at about one-fourth of what the UCs receive. The time is now to finally start investing in our community colleges. Prop 92 will enable the community colleges to have their own funding stream, and get away from the "Prop 98 split" entirely. Using another scare tactic, the opposing ballot argument claims that Prop 92 does not include audits, independent oversight, or measures to ensure money will ever get to college classrooms. Proponents point out that Prop 92 funds would be subject to the same controls that now apply to the community colleges. By law the community colleges must spend at least 50% of every dollar for classroom instruction. There is no need to duplicate existing controls with redundant laws that take dollars out of the classroom. Community colleges consistently get high marks for stretching their meager dollars very far. New funds will be invested wisely in our most precious resource -- the people of California. Opponents say that there are better ways to improve our community colleges. What are they? Advocates have been trying unsuccessfully for many years to address the under-funding of the community colleges. Generally, those opposed to Prop 92 support the mission and goals of the community colleges but they do not offer any way to finance them that will allow them to function effectively. Passage of Prop 92 will guarantee the community college system the resources it needs. The real issue is whether we will have a thriving community college system that successfully serves millions of youth and adults. ========================================================================= From San Francisco: Prop 92 lowers student fees to $15 per unit, and makes it difficult to raise fees, currently at $20 per unit. Community College used to be free, CA legislators have increased fees, resulting in a loss of over 300,000 low-income students. 2.5 million students served through the Community Colleges of CA. Helps students become self-supporting citizens through vocational and life- skills training. Stabilizes campus funding. No steady source of funds due to economic factors, and courses are cut, despite increased student fees. Prop 98 guarantees a floor, but funds come from CA’s general funds, and current funding structure does not adequately meet the growing needs for the Community College system. This funding is a set aside to the state budget. More than 50% of the SF Community College budget spent on education programs.