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The
Skyline View The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, California
www.theskylineview.com
February 2, 2012
Volume XXX - Issue 1
community colleges
District approaches basic aid
Changes to revenue policy affect district by Matt Pacelli
Skyline View News Editor
California Community College Chancellor Jack Scott speaks about the task force at a town hall meeting in Oakland in November.
Image courtesy of CCCCO.edu
Task force policies passed
Board of Governors unanimously accepts recommendations by Blair Hardee
Skyline View online editor
The California Community College system’s Board of Governors voted over the winter break to approve recommendations that will change the way students get through community college. The vote to implement the recommendations was unanimous, with two board members abstaining. The recommendations will now go to the California Legislature and be voted on to make the recommended policies a reality. Even more changes can be expected here at Skyline, probably within the next few years. The 76-page report, written by the Student Success Task Force (made up
of people from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office), presents ideas that intend to solve the system’s budget issues while helping students be more successful at the same time. The plan is to push students quickly through the system in order to help them reach their goals and help the state save money by subsidizing as few units as possible. The task force and Board of Governors argue that students spend too much time at community colleges, accumulating too many units with no goal in mind. Katelyn Smathers, a senator with the Associated Students of Skyline College, takes an official stance against the recommendations by the Student Success Task Force.
“Our position as the ASSC and my personal position is we are completely, adamantly against the whole thing,” Smathers said. However, Smathers says the ASSC is reformulating their strategy now that the recommendations have passed through the Board of Governors and are going to the Legislature. Rather than opposing the policies as a whole, the ASSC will attempt to fight against each piece of legislation individually. President of Skyline College Regina Stanback-Stroud said, along with many school officials, that the recommendations outlined in the task force’s report will not be beneficial Task force continues on Page 2
Gas line ruptured in San Bruno
“ The San Mateo County budget Community College District is on the precipice of entering bareductions, sic aid status for the 2012-2013 this [revschool year, which may cause enue limit] a reduction in the number of has been students the campus can serve. A decrease in funding would shrinklead to basic aid status, which ing” Brioin turn would cause a reduction nes said. in the number of students the “What’s school could serve. Under current circumstances, the district happening will see a projected reduction now is the of its workforce for the 2012amount 2013 school year. of money The projection of the district’s descent into basic aid we are was given by Executive Vice supposed Chancellor Kathy Blackwood to get, during the January 25, 2012 because meeting of the district’s Board of Trustees. During the budget of budget report, Blackwood found the reductions, status of basic aid to be unis going avoidable for the district. “Every scenario that I run down.” says that we will continue into Eloisa basic aid until the next year,” Briones, Blackwood said. Director Determining if a district of business requires basic aid status relies services primarily on the amount of revenue the college district generates through both property taxes and enrollment fees. These two sources of revenue are deducted from the state calculated revenue limit for the district, and the difference is covered through state Basic aid continues on Page 2 With the
Residents of three blocks were evacuated by Marc Arguello, Jay Johnson and Stephen Benoit Skyline View editors at large
A contractor’s back hoe ruptured a gas line on the 500 block of Chestnut Avenue in San Bruno on January 24, 2012. No injuries were reported. According to San Bruno Fire Department Battalion Chief Charlie Barringer, the fire department received a call from a resident complaining about the smell of gas at 1:04 p.m. They arrived on the scene at 1:07 p.m., and by 1:15 p.m. they had evacuated three blocks of Chestnut, Beech, and Oak avenues. By 2 p.m., PG&E had stopped the leak, and the evacuation order
was lifted. According to PG&E, the gas service was shut off at 3:13 p.m. Jason King, a spokesperson with PG&E, explained that a third-party contractor (not working with PG&E) struck the gas line while digging into the street with a back hoe. While digging, the contractors unknowingly severed a half-inch service line connected to a larger, two-inch gas line. The contractors called the San Bruno Fire Department, who proceeded to evacuate the residents of the blocks surround-
ing the source of the leak. “We take all leaks seriously,” said Katie Romans, PG&E spokesperson. San Bruno resident Kathy Peckham was at John Muir Elementary, where she works as an office manager, when she received the call from her son that they were being evacuated because of the gas leak in front of her home. Peckham was concerned because of the events that occurred during the 2010 pipeline explosion. “Houses can be replaced, but you can’t replace people,” Peckham said.
Stephen Benoit/The Skyline View
PG&e workers work on damaged gasline