Our Community College Initiative

Allows community college funding to increase with the growing student population without hurting K-12 schools.

• Calculates the minimum community college funding guarantee based on community college growth.
• Avoids an artificial funding cap that will be imposed on community colleges over the next ten years because of declining K-12 enrollment.
• Ends the zero-sum game "Proposition 98 split," which forces community colleges to advocate shifting money from K-12 schools.
• Ensures that promises made by the Legislature are promises kept with a property tax guarantee.
• Funds the increase to community colleges over the next ten years through natural growth in the state's general fund, and does not raise taxes.

Provides for stable and predictable student fees.

• Cuts fees to $15 to bring them in line with personal income.
• Prohibits the Legislature from increasing fees in the future by more than the change in per capita personal income.
• Eliminates possibility of mid-semester fee increases, and gives students at least 60 days notice before any fee increase.
• Ensures that fee revenue stays with the community colleges for the improvement of education, instead of being diverted to other state programs.

Enhances state leadership and secures local governance of the state-local community college partnership.

• Allows the Board of Governors and Chancellor to hire the senior staff professionals currently appointed by the governor. This is the same authority provided to the UC President and CSU Chancellor.
• Includes in the state constitution provisions for locally elected governing boards accountable to voters and for a statewide chancellor hired by a board appointed by the governor.