Dear friends and family,

I hope this message finds you all well. Some of you haven’t heard from me in a while, but rest assured that I am indeed alive and kicking! I’m writing to ask a personal request about the upcoming primary election this Tuesday. For those who have not already voted absentee, I’m requesting that you consider voting YES on Proposition 92, the proposition that would stabilize community college funding.

Even though community colleges enroll 2.5 million students each year (UCs and CSUs have about 700,000 combined), we are lumped in with K-12, and historically, community colleges have not gotten our fair share of the portion. Even though the State passed Prop 98 that ensured a minimum funding base for K-12 and community colleges, the state calculates this amount with the enrollment growth of K-12 and then splits it with the community colleges. Currently, the number of K-12 students are decreasing while community college numbers are INCREASING, which means the colleges will receive less apportionment.

In a two year period starting in 2003, the State raised tuition from $11 per unit to $26 per unit but did not give community colleges any of that extra funding. Mind you, it was also around that time that I received a pink slip because of inadequate funding in my district!

At any rate, this is just a pitch for Yes on Prop 92 so the community colleges would have more rights over its own system. Thanks for reading, friends.

Best,

Theresa