CommentsOP/ED LA ELECTION 2022 - The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) has placed a measure on the November ballot that would cost homeowners an additional $25 per $100,000 of assessed value of their property per year.
The tax increase would fund another new construction bond program with a projected cost of $5.3 billion to pay for upgrades to buildings, athletic facilities, and technology.
LACCD presides over nine colleges in Los Angeles County.
It is the largest and most expensive district in the nation with questionable results to show for the billions of dollars they have already spent-yes, that’s billions with a “B.” Sure, there are shiny new buildings and stadiums on campuses to rival that of some four year universities, but if there are no students to walk the halls and eventually graduate with a degree that earns them better paying careers or the means to transfer to a four-year college, then what does it all mean?
Funding for our community colleges comes from multiple sources. Here is a percentage breakdown from Community College Research Center to help put things in perspective:
33% State Revenue
20% Local
18% Federal
17% Tuition and Fees
7% All Other
3% Self-supporting operations
2% Private gifts, investment revenues and endorsement income
Seventy one percent of community college funding comes from you, the taxpayer. These campuses play a very important role in educating people who want to go to college and perhaps can’t afford a four-year institution, are not sure what major to pursue or just want to improve their potential to earn more money in a better paying career. I am not advocating for decreased funding for our community colleges. To the contrary, I simply believe that the public should be informed as to where and how their money is being spent. So let’s explore that. Here is an excerpt from the LACCD Mission Statement:
“The Mission of the Los Angeles Community College District is to foster student success for all individuals seeking advancement, by providing equitable and supportive learning environments at our nine colleges. “
This ad paid for by Mark Dutton for Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees, Special election seat 7, State ID 1453647
Fostering student success begins with education and ends with high graduation rates, successful transition into high paying careers and transfers into four-year institutions. So where does California lie in this metric? According to a 2021 study conducted by the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Policy, the graduation failure rate is 70%. That leaves a 30% success rate while Los Angeles property owners are asked to spend 5.3 billion more tax dollars on facilities in addition to the 9.5 billion in bonds that were green lit by 2016. This, with an alarmingly low graduation rate and a 31% decline in enrollment in the past five years alone.
The apparently invisible elephant in the room begs the question, why would we give 5.3 billion more dollars to the same folks who are currently responsible for a faltering district? According to a feature on bestcolleges.com, not a single school in LACCD even ranks in the top 10 in California. A 2021national study of best community colleges by SmartAsset (smartasset.com) supports that data with the nation’s top 10 list excluding a single California community college. LACCD doesn’t even crack the top 50 in the U.S. on these two separate lists:
50 Best Community Colleges in US
So, how do we fix it? The life and blood of a campus is the student body, so the prime directive must be facilitating their success. This is not to diminish the hard work and dedication of the faculty and staff and the impact that they most certainly have on a student, but if data indicates that spending and policy do not serve the prime directive, then logic would dictate that we change course. We are professionally and morally obligated to do so, are we not?
About 50% of LACCD classes are now offered online, significantly reducing the need for on-campus facilities, at least for the foreseeable future. An analysis of the needs stated in this bond measure necessitates careful and transparent scrutiny before the public is asked to make such a large supplemental investment at a time when our economy makes it difficult for most people just to keep their heads above water…yet another reason to focus our efforts on improving graduation rates and transitions into good paying careers.
Data must be followed to wherever it leads. Sometimes, this process forces us to change hard fought policies and re-think our “mutual admiration society.” Let’s get our priorities straight and show voters, taxpayers and potential students that L.A. community colleges have their best interests in mind. Let’s pause the facilities windfall until after we fix our enrollment and graduation problems. Los Angeles voters should say no to more bond debt for LACCD. Vote NO on measure LA.
For more about Mark, go to his Facebook.
(This ad paid for by Mark Dutton for Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees, Special election seat 7, State ID 1453647.)
