To support the community college district’s commitment to offering free classes for full-time county residents, the Board of Trustees has suspended health and parking fees, further increasing access to higher education.
The suspension of collected fees for the 2026-27 school year was approved alongside the district’s tentative $811.2 million budget to support more than 14,660 students.
The budget is balanced, with both revenue and expenditures up $12 million from the last school year. The largest operational fund is the $290 million in the unrestricted general fund, and the district is budgeted to maintain just over 16% in reserves.
The governor’s revised May budget appropriated $249.14 million more to community colleges throughout the state than the initial amount proposed in January, but this money will largely go to districts that rely on state aid rather than community property taxes, Chief Financial Officer Peter Fitzsimmons said.
Advocacy is underway to reconsider some of the funds to go to community-funded districts to offset costs associated with expanded pregnancy leave. This benefit was included in the May revision through Assembly Bill 65, which guarantees up to 14 weeks fully paid leave for employees.
There is also $2 million included to fund enrollment growth, which the San Mateo County Community College District has experienced, Fitzsimmons said.
The Board of Trustees approved the tentative budget unanimously, with priorities identified including providing free college to county residents, a $14.2 million initiative. Of that amount, $2 million, will go toward offsetting the impacts of the suspended health fees and parking fee waivers.
The fee suspensions add upon past district initiatives to reduce costly barriers to entry for students seeking a higher education.
The Board of Trustees also agreed to submit applications for districtwide student housing at Cañada College in Redwood City and Skyline College in San Bruno, to establish units at each three campuses. Construction is currently in progress to build 316 units at the College of San Mateo.
“I’m just so excited that this is happening,” Trustee Lisa Petrides said. “I want to just put out the good vibes that the state and this money can come through for us. It would be amazing to have student housing on all three campuses.”
The community college district’s Board of Trustees will consider the final adopted budget in September after revisions are made as needed.
(65) 344-5200 ext. 106
Daily Journal staff
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