Hearing Set on Voting for College Trustees

The California Assembly will hold a public hearing at Mission College on Wednesday to discuss a bill by Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar) that would change the way board members are elected to the Los Angeles Community College District.

Under the current system, trustees are elected at large. The Cardenas bill, AB1328, would require that members of the governing board be elected by trustee area.

This week, Pierce College officials announced that the Woodland Hills school had cut almost one-third of its classes for the spring semester. The cuts were the latest indication of the ongoing financial problems in the community college district, which is the nation’s largest. Valley College in Van Nuys and Mission College in Sylmar have cut between 10% and 20% of their classes.

“The people of the San Fernando Valley should be able to directly select who represents them on the community college board. They need to be able to hold their representative accountable when programs at their local college are cut,” Cardenas said.

Blair Sillers, assistant to William Segura, chancellor of the nine-campus district, said a majority of the current board members are opposed to Cardenas’ bill.

Cardenas, district representatives and several other state officials will participate in the hearing, including Rep. Ted Lempert (D-San Carlos), chairman of the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee. Wednesday’s hearing will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Mission College auditorium, 13356 Eldridge Ave., Sylmar.