Trustees Approve ‘20-21 Budget While Concerns, Cuts, and COVID Still Loom.
By Jay Sea
The City College Board of Trustees, as well as members of the public, went late into the night over Zoom, on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, after meeting for a total of seven and a half hours in an effort to pass the new revised budget for next year.
This comes after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the sudden change of chancellors, but public discussion was dominated by tremendous pleas from students and school representatives over concerns they demand trustees not overlook, like minority student groups.
After closed session, reports, and agenda the Board unanimously (as well as the Student Trustee’s advisory vote) passed a budget for next year, concerns withstanding.
Complaints surrounded the new Student Success Center. Numerous calls to delay held sway eventually causing the Board to vote yes on stalling agenda item 256 until further discussion can take place. The Woman’s Resource Center and the African American Resource Center aren’t presently included in the building’s schematics.
Currently, fifty-six percent of the school’s budget comes from the State of California. Forty-four percent comes from “local San Francisco revenue”, according to Academic Senate president, Simon Hansen. Over three years under the previous administration, $53 million of reserves was spent. Under the law, the school must maintain five percent of reserves: $8.1 million, which is projected to remain. Total expenditures for ‘20-21 is $182,448,22 with enrollment at 18,600 compared to ‘18-19’s $203,420,987 and 22,291 students enrolled.
A new schedule of classes remaining has yet to be approved by the Board.