Will Proposition 92 help or hurt community colleges?

Commissioners on the ASCC Cabinet continue to discuss about whether or not Proposition 92 will benefit Cerritos College in any way. For those who support Prop. 92 IF it is passed it would do the following:

• Lowers fees to $15 a unit
• Limits future fee increases
• Provides stable funding for community colleges for more classes and services
• Guarantees that the community college system is independent from state politics
• Does not hurt K-12 funding or raise taxes

In brief it says that: Proposition 92 - the California Community College Initiative - will enhance this mission by lowering fees to $15 per unit - ensuring that community colleges are affordable. It also limits the rise in future fees to the cost of living. It provides stable funding for California community colleges. In addition, it guarantees that the community college system is independent from state politics.



There is also the opposition of Prop. 92 and it states: Proposition 92 would amend California’s constitution to lock in a huge new state spending mandate – with no way to pay for it. The California Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates the increased spending will reach nearly a billion dollars in the first three years. Politicians would be left to decide how to fund the measure. They could raise taxes or they could cut other critical programs like health care, public safety and education funding, including K-12, and state universities.

Proposition 92 expands bureaucracy, but contains no accountability or independent oversight, and requires no public audits. There will be no way to know how the Prop. 92 money is spent. The Cerritos Board of Trustees will take its position on Dec. 12 when newcomer Tina Cho is sworn it.

However, from the sound of the points of those in the ASCC Cabinet there seems to be no support for this initiative. "This is all a fallacy," ASCC Vice President Michael Barrita said. But there is that point that it would lower student fees to $15 per unit...stay tuned...

Read the opposition to Prop. 92 here

Read the support for Prop. 92 here