Fiscal Health of the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD)

The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) was awarded in 2002 and 2006 prop money totalling $1.5 billion. This is direct taxpayer dollars controlled by the SDCCD board of trustees, a group of 5 educators/teachers.

I am Scott Hasson and I am running for the board as the reform education candidate. I have over 25 years of budget and P&L experience and the desire to fix and protect the educational system in San Diego. I have been the President of the Tierrasanta Community Council and a member for 8 years as my civic volunteer service in San Diego.

If you are not aware, the College district is funded by what we call tuition or the state legislature called enrollment fees. So, for every $100 the college accepts in enrollment fees, they get back $2 in 60-120 days of arrears from the state. The other 98 percent of the money goes to fund the states general fund on the backs of our students. Basically students pay for prisons, roads and other things the state needs to pay for.

Raised the enrollment fee I just mentioned, well the state has mandated an increase from $36 to $46 per unit starting in September. This is $951 million per year, of which 2 percent or $20 million approx, will come back to the 72 college districts statewide. Again, funding  the general fund on the backs of community college students.

The Community colleges exist for 3 things: to give graduating HS students the opportunity to continue their education and then in 2 years transfer to a UC/CSU system. To let students work towards an associates degree. And to have students train towards a vocational certification.

The priority needs to be placed back on students who graduate HS. Example of something I would change is that if a student is in the system, they need to have a plan to complete and to that affect, HS graduating students should be given priority to gain access to classes over the adult education and other students taking classes such as ballroom dancing and golf.

Something else that just make you ask what are we doing here, as we are going to spend billions of dollars on High Speed rail, but cut more money from education and the higher education system. This is broken and I would fight to change the priority.

My opponent is a former lobbyist, who is the chief administrator at the San Diego Unified School District and the chief architect of the fiscal mess they are now throwing on the backs of our children. 

Our San Diego Community College District is the 2nd largest in the state, has on average over 100k students, has a budget that is just under a billion dollars, and has three major campuses of Mesa College, Miramar College and City College. It also has six extension centers located around the city

No one is watching this $1 billion budget and $600 million in 2013 of prop money (taxpayer funded) that is being spent to update the college system.

I am running to be the taxpayer watchdog and make sure our money is being spent properly and that students are being educated.

Please visit my website at hasson4sandiego.com.

Also my facebook page at  facebook.com/ScottHasson4SanDiego.