The 2018-2019 adopted budget was reduced by approximately 7% or a little over $48 million, according to the San Diego Community College District’s News Center. The breakdown of the school budget is public and can be found in the SDCCD adopted budget report and everything is broken down from employee salary and benefits to the Proposition S and N Project Summary Table.
At first, the amount of money that the college district is not receiving this school year seems alarming but one peek at the total spending budget and we find that the adopted budget is still able to keep priorities and serve the district’s needs.
In the past the SDCCD has received a little over $100million in funding for proposition N which establishes a business tax. However the majority of the projects under this measure have been completed and the ongoing and future plans are small. Additionally, Proposition S which is the repair and safety measure has also decreased due to the almost completed construction. Combining these two, and the Capital Outlay Project Funds which is similar to Prop S, the difference from the previous year is a little over $80 million.
Even though the SDCCD budget is roughly $47 million under last years budget, the proper adjustments have been made to keep the priorities where they need to stay and continue to ensure that the students of this district find the resources they need. Many specific district departments have actually gained aid by this new “Student Centered Funding Formula” for example the Child Development Department got an increase of a little over $300k.
On September 13, 2018 the Chancellor’s Message was published in which she included information about the funding of the school. In her message she included the very important “Rainy Day Fund” of $1.7 billion and it also included a new fund called the “Safety Net Reserve Fund” of $200million in case of recession. As mentioned before, one of the biggest differences in the budget this new year has been the new funding approach through the Student Centered Funding Formula (SCFF).
Explaining the formula the Chancellor writes, “formula provides funding to districts based on three basic factors: overall enrollment, enrollment of low-income students, and performance outcomes tied to specific metrics, including completion of degree or certificate.” Three years forward from July 1, 2018 this funding formula will stand. Furthermore there is “$20million ongoing funding of the creation of the Online Community College District (OCCD) and its college.”
Ultimately, the Board of Trustees, our Chancellor and her Cabinet have worked though a very meticulous process in order to get the SDCCD proper funding that withholds the district standards and has the students interests at the center despite the difference from past budgets.
