Rancho Santiago College Cuts Costs as Lottery Funds Shrink
Faced with declining state lottery money and a proposed state budget that would give community colleges less than expected, Rancho Santiago College Chancellor Robert Jensen on Tuesday announced a hiring freeze and other fiscal cutbacks.
Jensen told faculty groups at a special meeting Tuesday that lottery income is running about 35% lower than the Rancho Santiago Community College District had budgeted for the current fiscal year.
“We budgeted for $1.9 million, which is what we got from the lottery in (nine months) last year,” Jensen said. “We believed that in (12 months) this year, the lottery would give us the same amount. But it is running much below that, and I decided that we must take action now.”
Jensen said indications are that the lottery will provide only $1.2 million to the college during the fiscal year ending June 30.
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