College Officials Trim Budgets, Fear News From Sacramento

Administrators at Ventura, Oxnard and Moorpark colleges are making the last cuts to their budgets before submitting them to the Ventura County Community College District office today for final review.

Officials say they have been able to avoid laying off staff or reducing class offerings, but warn that those scenarios are a certainty if they cut further, which may depend on what kind of budget is passed by state lawmakers.

“It’s trimming up to the first knuckle or so. We haven’t lost an arm yet,” said Ray DiGuilio, acting vice president of administrative services at Moorpark College. “It may need revision. We’re not out of the woods until the issue in Sacramento has been resolved.”

Ventura College had to trim about $280,000 from its $22.8-million budget. Oxnard was asked to cut about $178,000 from its $11.6-million budget, and Moorpark had to cut about $312,000 from its $20.3-million budget. About $115,000 was sliced out of the $4.3-million district office budget.

Another $3.5 million has been budgeted for districtwide services such as early retirement programs and fringe benefits for retirees.

Officials at the three campuses say the majority of the cuts have come from travel, printing, postage, supplies, utilities and equipment repair. The amount of available overtime for employees and the number of temporary and student workers have also been reduced.

District trustees approved a $62.5-million tentative budget in June and are scheduled to adopt a final 1992-93 version Sept. 15. If the state’s budget is favorable to community colleges, the final district budget is not expected to be drastically different from the tentative budget, said Jeff Marsee, vice chancellor of administrative services.

Last week, officials at the campuses and the district office were directed to cut a total of $885,000 because their budgets had been based on figures from the state that were updated, Marsee said.

However, if state lawmakers pass a budget that is not favorable to the community colleges, more cuts may be needed, Marsee said.

The $62.5-million district budget being considered is based on an anticipated 2% increase in state and local revenues, Marsee said.

But other budget proposals in Sacramento would pare community colleges’ share of state money. Gov. Pete Wilson’s plan would raise fees from $6 to $20 per unit to help make up for the budget shortfall and slash 5% from the funds designated for the community college system.

State Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria), a Ventura College graduate, said Wilson’s plan “would emasculate funding for education.”

O’Connell said he was hopeful that a budget would be passed that would give community colleges 2% growth. At least two proposals currently under consideration would allow for that, O’Connell said.

Meanwhile, district officials are waiting anxiously for a state budget to be approved to learn whether they must pare further.

Classes at all three colleges started Monday. However, officials still have no idea how much they will charge students for courses because some state budget proposals call for fees to stay at $6 per unit, while others--such as Wilson’s--would more than triple the fees.

To further complicate things, enrollment at the three colleges this fall has increased, officials said. No sections have been cut but classes will be larger, Marsee said. “We’ll have to become more efficient,” he said.

Irene Pinkard, vice president of administrative services at Oxnard College, said the number of courses offered in the spring may be reduced if Oxnard College is directed to cut its budget further.

“Everybody’s having to work harder, and that reflects down to the students,” said Ruth Hemming, vice president of administrative services at Ventura College. “They have to wait in longer lines to register, or get financial aid, or see a counselor.”

Warned DiGuilio of Moorpark College: “If the 2% is overly optimistic and we have to go back to the cutting board, it won’t be a cutting board, it will be a chopping block. We have reached the breaking point in our ability to absorb these cuts.”

Times staff writer Fred Alvarez contributed to this story.

District Enrollment at a Glance

Ventura Oxnard Moorpark College College College Students* 10,443 5,755 10,941 Faculty (full-time) 175 70 162 ( part-time) 265 165 245 Classes 1,493 750 1,313 Budget** $22.8 million $11.6 million $20.3 million

* Enrollment as of Aug. 18. Registration continues through Sept. 4.

** The district’s $62.5-million budget includes about $7.8 million for districtwide services.