Enrollments in California Community Colleges have dropped by nearly half a million students due to continuing budget cuts and course reductions, a college official said in a press conference last Wednesday.

Erik Skinner, California Community Colleges Acting Chancellor, began by explaining that part of the problem was an overflow of students trying to get into the system.

“These cuts have come at exactly the wrong time,” Skinner said, “California has experienced the largest graduating high school classes in the state’s history over the last couple of years.”

Skinner explained that while students from all walks of life are seeking admittance in community colleges, a “mismatch between resources and demand” means there are fewer sections than ever for these students to enroll in.

“Enrollments in the California community colleges have dropped by 485,000 students since 2008 levels, a 17 percent reduction,” he added.

Skinner also mentioned his use of a voluntary survey sent to community colleges as an important source of information, including that 70 percent of responding schools reported lower enrollment levels than the previous year.

Following Skinner’s summarization of the issues at hand, Dan Toy, Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Policy, explained the impact that Prop 30’s passage would have on student enrollment levels.

“If it passes, community colleges will have received about $210 million in new money,” he said, “some of that new money will go into providing new seats for students.”

Vice Chancellor Troy estimated that 20,000 new seats could open up to incoming students if Prop 30 passes – conversely, failure of the proposition to pass would mean a loss of about 180,000 students.

Rich Copenhagen, President of the Student Senate for Community Colleges, added to this explanation by mentioning the effect of cutting campus services as a contributing factor of low enrollment.

“All of these different services aim to protect and empower those students who may not have the opportunity to attend college, and we’re cutting those,” he said, “we don’t have enough money to fund them.”

Acting Chancellor Skinner and Vice Chancellor Troy added that the future was uncertain as to what may happen to community college system in the coming years.

“We really do believe that the most pressing public policy and social issue that California is facing today is ‘are we going to provide access to the next generation to access higher education?’” Skinner said.