During the town hall meeting held on Dec. 5, Las Positas College President Kevin Walthers featured some positive updates for the LPC community regarding the passing of tax initiative Proposition 30.
Those who doubted that the passage of California’s tax initiative, Proposition 30 would have positive effects on the state’s educational system are having the proverbial pie thrown in their faces.
During the town hall meeting held on Dec. 5, Las Positas College President Kevin Walthers outlined three ways in which Prop. 30 is already benefitting the LPC community. opening of spots for more students, reviving previously eliminated faculty positions, and offering more classes for students to take.
Walthers said that the tax initiative stabilized the drop of state funding and aided in the opening of spots for more students, reviving previously eliminated faculty positions, and the school can now offer more classes for students to take.
“It just really gets us to the base line,” Walthers said.
Proposition 30, which was voted in by Californians during the Nov. 6 elections, prevented a could-have-been 9.7 M worth of budget cuts that threatened more program eliminations and suspension of personnel in many California schools, including Las Positas.
The President explained that the district plans to use the money they will receive to restore the $50 M dollar worth of workload reductions during the last state budget cuts. These reductions meant the cutting of classes and faculty layoffs.
Because of Prop. 30 Las Positas College and Chabot College can add an additional 156 full-time enrolled students (FTEs) to their population by the end of Spring semester. The President considers this a positive change, as last year the student population declined by 13 percent at LPC.
“The good news is,” Walthers added. “More students mean more classes.”
And more class offerings means better and faster advancement opportunities for the students.
Though Prop. 30 brings needed funds, not everything can be fixed overnight.
“We still have a decision to make with regards to the suspension of two dean positions (during the budget cuts),” Walthers said.
