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With Governor Jerry Brown’s budget proposal that ultimately cut $400 million dollars from the community colleges in California. Board of Trustee Randy Okamura said, “We must all share this (budget)”
The district is now faced with the issue of reducing their budget by $3.3 million dollars by June 30. On Feb 12 the Board of Trustee proposed a resolution of nearly 15 potential cuts to the staff of San Jose City College. Dr. Jeffrey Lease of the Board of Trustee voiced his concerns about the budget “If I don’t do anything less then protected the physical solvency of the district I let the community down, I let those that invested half a billion dollars in bond money, and I let the students down.”
Maria Fuentes had motioned to push voting on the budget until the next trustee’s meeting, amongst the trustee’s, it was agreed that furthering the voting would not give those being laid off time to prepare.
Also it would give the union 45 days to come up with cuts that would head layoffs. When voting, it came to a four – two – one vote; four ayes, two nays, and one sustained.
According to the classified staff employees’ association CSEA website, which is the union for the classified staff, “There are only two reasons classified employees can be laid off: “lack of work” and “lack of funds.”
“We had one on one interviews with the folks who are going to lose their jobs,“ said Chancellor Rita Cepeda.
Representing the student body, board of trustee’s student delegates Autumn Young and associated students president Raymond Porras were trying to advocate $60,000 to the student budget. Being that amount, it was decided to push the vote to the next trustee’s meeting.
With this meeting it has been brought to attention of the Board of Trustee, to everyone’s concerns about their jobs, careers and lives. The board of trustee’s understood these concerns, but the Board had came to the conclusion that if this motion was not decided then and there, that the situation would get worse, and if action was not taken, schools would be shut down.
“ The only way I see us moving into the direction that we need to get to, is handling the financial difficulties we’re dealing with and preparing for the future.” said Chancellor Cepeda.
