YOUR FRONT page Feb. 25 article "College enrollment dips" highlights critically important issues challenging public education now. With substantial budget cuts at all levels, every level of education struggles to continue providing a solid education for students.
Contra Costa County's three community colleges (Contra Costa in San Pablo, Diablo Valley in Pleasant Hill and Los Medanos in Pittsburg) and campuses (Brentwood and San Ramon) have experienced 5 percent reductions in their funding.
Classes have been canceled and hundreds of students are told they cannot be admitted.
Budget cuts for the University of California have shifted students from UC to the California State University system. But CSU tuition increased dramatically so many students who wanted to attend CSU now want to attend community college for two years first. Community colleges are being deluged with students just when many newly unemployed workers want to learn new skills.
The time to stop denying any student access to California's community colleges is now while the solution is manageable. All Californians benefit when students learn new skills at, or prepare for university at, our community colleges.
A 2006 study concluded Contra Costa community colleges contribute substantially to both their students' knowledge and subsequent earnings ($200 higher lifetime earnings for every credit earned) and to the local economy ($2.50 for
every $1 of taxpayer financial support). About $3.5 billion in increased income was created by these colleges' students being better educated with new skills.
If America could afford to invest $180 billion (yes, billion not million) to save the insurance giant AIG International at $600 for each of 315 million Americans, how much would it cost to allow all students access to community colleges?
The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed "Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act HR-3321," which would help and it is awaiting Senate action.
What happens to students denied entry to our affordable and efficient community colleges? Let's not find out!
Make your opinion known! E-mail your U.S. senators by going tohttp://boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/policycomments.cfm and http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm.
Or call Sen. Barbara Boxer at (415) 403-0100 and Sen. Dianne Feinstein at (415) 393-0707. Call Rep. John Garamendi at (925) 932-8899 or Rep. Jerry McNerney at (925) 737-0727 or Rep. George Miller at (925) 602-1880.
Greg Enholm is a high school math teacher. He can be reached at gbenholm@gmail.com.