Delta College spends millions while making cuts

[The Straight Story]

Delta College spends millions while making cuts


STOCKTON, CA - A brand new track at Delta College in Stockton is just the latest lavish improvement to a school system also experiencing budget cuts.

The new track cost more than a million dollars, and is so advanced, it's just one of three in the world. The other two are in China and at Arizona State University. Athletic department officials couldn't be more thrilled.

"It's like anything. The better it is, the more you want to be a part of it. This makes our job as far as recruiting a lot easier," said Athletic Director Mary Ann Paz.

But Delta has experienced huge budget cuts as well this semester, with about a 1,000 classes no longer available. Improvements like the track are happening because of a $250 million bond project approved by voters five years ago.

"You can't use money from the bond for operating expenses or classes. It's two different sources of money, legally," said Delta College President Raul Rodriguez.

The bond approval led to about $10 million worth of improvements in athletic facilities. A brand-new 50,000 square- foot student service building is also being paid for with bond funds.

http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=76685&catid=2

[anonymous171]

1. College is fast becoming expensive daycare for the children of the elite. nt

[Duke Newcombe]

5. This is a medium-sized community college.

Hardly a playground for "children of the elite".

Still, bad timimg to be spending that much funding on that particular use.

[jody]

2. It's planning and budgeting like Delta College and CA in general conduct that have made the state

the leader in dysfunctional state governments.

[jwirr]

3. Many colleges spend more on sports than on academics. When

we argued against the idea years ago we were told that it is sports that bring in the money from the alumni. We may be approaching the day when we ask ourselves what we want - an education or entertainment.

[NYC_SKP]

4. Often, these projects were proposed and funded before the economic crisis.

It is a travesty and looks very bad for all the schools involved.

80 miles to the East I can name two school districts that just built new fancy gymnasiums and have already had to cut jobs with another big round of cuts coming next year.

Very sad, but nobody saw the Bush toxic economic meltdown coming, not as clearly as we should have.

[asdjrocky]

6. And they are right now turning students away.

Stockton is a very sad place these days.

[gmoney]

7. yes, it's from a 5-year old bond issue

But it's still crazy. don't boosters usually play for this kind of crap?