Bill Allowing Free Choice of Two-Year College Stalls

In the face of persistent opposition from the Los Angeles Community College District, Sen. Robert Beverly (R-Manhattan Beach) on Tuesday shelved--at least temporarily--a controversial bill to allow students to attend any community college regardless of where they live.

But Beverly and his supporters left open the possibility that a compromise could be crafted after lawmakers return from their summer vacation next month.

Beverly said that “we did not have the votes” in the Assembly Education Committee because of lawmakers “sympathetic to the Los Angeles position.”

The committee was scheduled to hold a second hearing on the measure, which had narrowly failed approval last week. But this time around Beverly did not even seek a vote, because of the opposition of legislators from Central Los Angeles.

Concern Over Student Losses

The Senate approved the bill in June, but it encountered strong criticism in the Assembly from Los Angeles college officials concerned about the loss of students to suburban community colleges. That would result in loss of state education dollars.

The year-old dispute over so-called “free flow” of students surfaced last year when district officials determined that 25,000 Los Angeles students were attending colleges in other districts, while only 6,000 suburban students were attending Los Angeles colleges.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles college officials threatened to end agree ments that allow for free flow within the district.

And last week, Gov. George Deukmejian entered the dispute when he vetoed a $5-million loan sought by the Los Angeles district, saying he would approve it if the district allowed free flow.

Los Angeles college officials angrily assailed Deukmejian’s proposal as “blackmail.” They immediately sought other ways to raise the $5 million.

On Tuesday, Norman Schneider, a spokesman for the Los Angeles colleges, called Beverly’s decision a victory. He said it would give officials more time to try to find a way to resolve the issue.

Schneider said the district would not be opposed to free flow if the state provided a way to offset the loss of tax dollars that move with the students.

He added that the district recently signed transfer agreements with surrounding community colleges. And he said that Los Angeles is negotiating with Santa Monica College, which currently has 5,000 full-time students from Los Angeles. Free flow between the Santa Monica and Los Angeles districts is allowed under a state law that expires next July.

Beverly said that he might seek a compromise similar to one proposed, but not accepted, by the Assembly Education Committee last week.

Under the compromise suggested by Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), students could attend any school. But a district that loses students could appeal to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to restrict free flow.