COLLEGE FORCED TO TIGHTEN ITS BELT.Byline: Daily News SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. is bracing bracing, n a resistance to the horizontal components of masticatory force. for an unexpected budget cut of $405,000 as a shortfall in state property tax revenue continues to deepen. The amount is part of $38 million expected to be cut from community colleges across California after the state announced last year's property tax collection could be short by more than $67 million - more than twice the previously projected $33.3 million. ``(The $405,000 cut) is not significant out of our $45 million general fund,'' said Sharlene Coleal, the college's chief business officer. Property tax revenues, combined with tuition and other fees, are collected by the state and redisbursed based on a specific formula to fund the community college system. While the state is obliged o·blige v. o·bliged, o·blig·ing, o·blig·es v.tr. 1. To constrain by physical, legal, social, or moral means. 2. to make up any property tax shortfall, Gov. Gray Davis announced in January the money won't be replaced this year due to the current financial crisis, said Linda Michalowski, a spokeswoman for the California Community Colleges' Chancellor's Office. ``In the budget revisions, he did not anticipate to backfill back·fill n. Material used to refill an excavated area. tr.v. back·filled, back·fill·ing, back·fills To refill (an excavated area) with such material. what was then a small shortfall of property tax revenue,'' said Michalowski, whose office oversees the state's 2-year college system. The additional cut comes as College of the Canyons prepares to lose up to $2 million from its $45 million operating budget Noun 1. operating budget - a budget for current expenses as distinct from financial transactions or permanent improvements budget items, operating cost, operating expense, overhead - the expense of maintaining property (e.g. under Davis' proposed fiscal plan, which include midyear mid·year n. 1. The middle of the calendar or academic year. 2. a. An examination given in the middle of a school year. b. midyears A series of such examinations. cuts of $215 million and a total loss of $1.04 billion for community colleges statewide in the next 18 months. ``It could go lower, and it could go higher as time goes on,'' Coleal said. ``It's all hypothetical until they make a decision. We're, of course, prepared to handle this.'' College officials are working to cut everything down to the essentials in anticipation for when the final budget is released. ``We're already doing things such as only hiring critical positions,'' college spokeswoman Sue Bozman said. ``We're pretty much freezing all travel. Our biggest goal is to impact students the least.'' ``We're an instructional institution,'' Coleal said. ``Any cut is going to make a hard job even harder as we try to find ways to absorb them.'' |
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