It was standing room only at the district board room at Foothill College, where the board of trustees met Monday and unanimously voted to lay off classified employees.
An overflow of students and staff wrapped around the hall leading out of the board room.
Layoffs were one of many high-profile issues on the agenda, along with student senate budgets and Measure E items.
Administrators and the board of trustees decided to cut classified positions to make up for a deficit. According to the board, district personnel estimated that the “operating deficit” was in the range of $8.4 million.
Much of the projected deficit is due to a decrease in enrollment.
“Every 1 percent decrease in enrollment is equal to $1 million,” said Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Jane Enright.
Chancellor Martha Kanter called the budget problems “a crisis in Sacramento.”
Kanter said of the layoffs, “It’s a very sad day in the district.”
Classified employees pleaded their cases one-by-one to the board. Art Hand, chief steward and Foothill librarian, said, “We have to keep trying. Here are some people you need to hear from.”
Budget Analyst Martha De La Cerda said, “I have worked for Foothill/De Anza since 1972. I know no other employer except FHDA. The district needs to reconsider their structural change. District managers are creating supervisors who only supervise one employee. The money used to pay cell phone bills alone could be used to pay classified salaries.”
Sandy Hay, board of trustees president, said, “It is not an ‘us versus them,’ we are all ravaged at all levels.”
Janet Rindfleisch, director of the Euphrat Museum, whose job is to be eliminated, said, “The Euphrat could grow, adapt, prosper and create a legacy. We need commitment from the college. [The layoff] will result in eventually shutting down the museum.”
Inside the boardroom, a few attendees held handmade signs protesting the layoffs, stating, “2 out of 3 chief stewards are targeted for layoffs, this = union busting,” and “Support classified staff, no layoffs.”
Academic Counselor Rebecca Levin said, “I urge the board to look at using their reserves. Please listen to suggestions for across the board reductions.”
De Anza President Brian Murphy said, “We are all under-funded across the board. This has sparked a level of conversation about cooperation. Every position really matters and every position cut hurts its department or program. That’s just the bottom line.”
Board member Hal Plotkin told a story about his mother, the sole provider for his family, who was laid off when he was in high school.
Plotkin and his sister had to quit school and work in a pizza parlor in order to make ends meet. Plotkin told the audience he knows firsthand the devastation that can be caused by layoffs.
Two votes against the layoffs were from student trustees Melanie Dunn from De Anza and Rodolfo Vazquez from Foothill. Student trustee votes are only advisory and carry no weight.
“We want to look at every possible stone and leave none unturned,” board member Paul Fong said.
Before the layoff discussion, the Foothill senate gave a PowerPoint presentation on their 2005-2006 budget.
Foothill Senate President Kee Hoon Chung spoke of their vision to become more visible, accessible, expressive and professional as an organization. The board quickly approved its budget.
“When this remarkable group is running the world, I hope they remember our foundation,” board member Plotkin said.
De Anza Senate President Nadine Foster-Mahar presented its 2005-2006 budget.
“We’ve been tightening the ship and have tried to turn the negatives into positives,” Foster-Maher said.
“We have tried to promote student success on campus,” Senate Vice President Henna Khan said.
She cited the tutorial center, whose budget was approved, as one of their success stories.
All the Measure E actions and projects were approved. Upgrades will be made at De Anza to the Learning Center and the P.E. quad.
Renovations at Foothill will be made to the Campus Center, P.E. and Science buildings.
