Despite Budget Lack, Pasadena City College Expands Classes

Pasadena City College officials have addressed a fund shortage for payroll and other immediate expenses, but are still planning to add hundreds of classes in the coming fall term.

Starting June 24, the college will be expanding its summer session with an additional of 400 classes, while the officials lean on the state’s promise to send the college $16 million for the proceeds of Proposition State Tax, according to the Pasadena Sun.

Pasadena City College Vice President Bob Miller said the expansion of classes was done despite the need to borrow $10 million in April for payroll and other expenses, the report added.

The state was also expected to pay the college $10 million in IOUs in July for tens of millions state funding cuts and payment deferrals for the past five years. In addition to this is the state’s obligation to increase the college’s base funding by $3.1 million next year and its supposed future contribution of millions more to assist online classes, adult education, deferred maintenance, and other programs.

However, “We won’t know until mid-August or so, at the earliest, exactly what funding will be made available to what programs and, just as important, when that money will be available,” the Pasadena Sun quoted Miller.

Likewise, College President Mark Rocha said the expansion was “essentially a roll-over of the current budget” to keep the operation of the college until July.