Deirdre Newman An expected loss of $6...

Deirdre Newman

An expected loss of $6 million for the 2003-04 school year has

prompted Orange Coast College officials to redirect swap meet revenue

from community education to for-credit courses.

The college is expecting the staggering loss if Gov. Gray Davis’

state budget proposal, unveiled Jan. 10, is adopted by the

legislature this summer. The prospect of such a large loss means

classes in all departments are vulnerable to cuts.

Swapping the swap meet revenue to for-credit classes allows the

college to staunch some of the bloodletting. The market is expected

to generate $500,000 in 2003, which will fund about 150 classes for

3,500 students, said Jim Carnett, college spokesman.

“Our No. 1 responsibility is to our students and to our credit

students, and we know, as we look ahead, there’re going to have to be

cuts made and we want to do whatever we can to reduce the impact of

the cuts,” Carnett said.

The swap meet has traditionally funded the professional arts

series, which brings performers such as Debbie Reynolds to campus,

and community education, which includes noncredit courses and the

lecture series.

The meet’s ability to produce revenue was significantly hamstrung

when it was reduced from two days to one day for eight months

starting in May because of complaints about traffic and littering.

In November, college officials decided to eliminate funding for

the arts series for 2003-04 because of a loss of $419,000 in swap

meet revenue for 2002.

The City Council approved returning the swap meet to two days

starting Feb. 1.

The college has already made $2.8 million in mid-year budget

reductions to cover the slimming state budget.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at [email protected].