Community Colleges Orange County Finances

The South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees has approved a balanced budget for the next fiscal year, indicating that the district is back on its financial feet. About $4.3 million of the $103-million spending plan will be set aside for reserves, said Gary Poertner, executive vice chancellor for administrative and business services. That is a large improvement from past years, when the district launched a controversial reconfiguration plan to make up budget deficits.

The South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees has approved a balanced budget for the next fiscal year, indicating that the district is back on its financial feet. About $4.3 million of the $103-million spending plan will be set aside for reserves, said Gary Poertner, executive vice chancellor for administrative and business services. That is a large improvement from past years, when the district launched a controversial reconfiguration plan to make up budget deficits.

The chancellor of the long-troubled South Orange County Community College District says that a controversial reorganization that began two years ago has saved $2.5 million, pulling the district out of financial peril. The district's two campuses, Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, have been plagued by low morale, fiscal problems and threats to their accreditation. Three years ago, the school system's financial reserves dropped to just 1.

The chancellor of the long-troubled South Orange County Community College District says that a controversial reorganization that began two years ago has saved $2.5 million, pulling the district out of financial peril. The district's two campuses, Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, have been plagued by low morale, fiscal problems and threats to their accreditation. Three years ago, the school system's financial reserves dropped to just 1.

A new push to revamp two South County community colleges has reopened old wounds and started another round of warring between faculty and trustees even as students are registering for the spring semester. Trustees of the 22,000-student South Orange County Community College District, citing the need for financial streamlining, asked for a department by department examination of Irvine Valley College in Irvine and Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.

Cypress College will receive $1.7 million over the next five years to strengthen academics in the new millennium, administrators said. The grant is under the Strengthening Institutions Program of the U.S. Higher Education Act. It will provide technology training for faculty members and extra instruction for classes with a traditionally high dropout rate.

Waving signs and shouting "No more fees," about 1,500 Rancho Santiago College students Thursday called on state lawmakers to scuttle a proposed community college fee increase that protesters said would force them out of school. The peaceful noontime protest left classrooms virtually empty as students swarmed onto the sidewalk in front of the school and onto 17th Street west of Bristol, blocking traffic.

Cypress College will receive $1.7 million over the next five years to strengthen academics in the new millennium, administrators said. The grant is under the Strengthening Institutions Program of the U.S. Higher Education Act. It will provide technology training for faculty members and extra instruction for classes with a traditionally high dropout rate.

A new push to revamp two South County community colleges has reopened old wounds and started another round of warring between faculty and trustees even as students are registering for the spring semester. Trustees of the 22,000-student South Orange County Community College District, citing the need for financial streamlining, asked for a department by department examination of Irvine Valley College in Irvine and Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.

Waving signs and shouting "No more fees," about 1,500 Rancho Santiago College students Thursday called on state lawmakers to scuttle a proposed community college fee increase that protesters said would force them out of school. The peaceful noontime protest left classrooms virtually empty as students swarmed onto the sidewalk in front of the school and onto 17th Street west of Bristol, blocking traffic.