San Diego Community College District

The San Diego Community College District’s (SDCCD) Board of Trustees has adopted a balanced, $878.6-million tentative budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year, an increase of 12.6% from last year due to an unprecedented infusion of federal funds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a better-than-expected state budget surplus.

Almost all federal and state pandemic-related funds are being directed to students in the form of direct aid grants and increased student services in support of their ability to continue their education. The district has also addressed the need to reduce expenditures while also addressing increased obligations. A hiring freeze on most positions that has been in place for the past two years has assisted in decreasing salary costs by approximately 1%, from $113.44 million to $111.28 million, while benefit costs on academic and classified salaries have increased by 5%, from $73.4 million to $77.5 million.  

The tentative budget, adopted at the Board of Trustees June 10 meeting, is based on figures from Governor Gavin Newsom’s May Revision, which greatly improved the state’s initial revenue projections primarily due to an increase in capital gains tax increases. In contrast to last year’s state budget, which was projected to have a $54 billion deficit, the May Revision projects a $10.7 billion increase in revenues by the end of 2021-22 and foresees a $75.7 billion surplus. That projected surplus — the state Legislative Analyst’s Office forecasts a much smaller surplus — will cover $121.1 million in one-time local assistance for California community colleges through Governor Newsom’s California Comeback Plan, which will provide $100 million in emergency student financial assistance grants. 

The new fiscal years begins July 1. All California community colleges are required to adopt a tentative budget by June 15 and a final adopted budget by September 15 each fiscal year.

The SDCCD’s tentative budget was developed through a collaborative and informative process involving the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Constance M. Carroll and the Chancellor’s Cabinet, the SDCCD Budget Planning and Development Council, the SDCCD Governance Council, and other individuals and groups representing the administration, faculty, classified professionals, and student leadership at the colleges and the District Office. 

“The development of the FY 21-22 budget has been a complex undertaking, given the continuing fiscal impact of the pandemic, multiple sources of new revenue, and ongoing fiscal challenges. The Board of Trustees, the governance organizations, and our community partners have all collaborated and supported efforts to remain fiscally solvent and to position City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges, and the San Diego College of Continuing Education to move forward with innovation and high-quality instructional programs and services for the benefit of our students and the San Diego region,” said Chancellor Carroll, who retires after 17 years as the SDCCD’s chief executive officer on July 1. She added, “It has been my great honor and privilege to serve as Chancellor of this important district and to leave my position knowing that economic recovery and progress are at hand.”

The Board of Trustees will consider adopting a final spending plan for fiscal year 2021-22 at its September 9 meeting.