Stop throwing money at P.C.C.
Here's an important story in today's O: Community colleges in Oregon are losing students left and right. And it isn't because of Covid. Portland Community College, which has been getting voter approval for one tidal wave of tax money after another in recent years, is admitting that it's lost students and doesn't know whether they're ever coming back.
At a handful of colleges, including the state’s largest, Portland Community College, however, enrollment has continued to drop, bucking hopeful projections that student numbers would climb back up this fall....
Clark is leading Portland Community College’s efforts to develop a strategic enrollment management plan this school year. The school will look at the needs of the communities the college serves, at economic and demographic projections, and work to chart its best course forward.
“This is not just about getting us back to ‘pre-pandemic levels,’” he said. “This all comes together to help us understand: Who should PCC be? How big should we be and what resources do we need to operate?”
That sure isn't the tune they sing when they want the property tax booty. Like the $450 million bond measure that will apparently be on the ballot next week. They're building bricks and mortar facilities that nobody's coming to. $700 million worth in the last 20 years. Now another $450 million. It's a waste of money. Fellow Portlanders, please join me in voting no.
And you renters out there who wonder why your rent is so high: It's stuff like this that your landlord is forced to pay for. Vote no and save yourself a few bucks a month.
Make it free that should fill a few desks.
ReplyDeletePCC passed a bond just five years ago and spent more than $6 million from those taxes to remodel a welding shop at its Rock Creek Campus. The welding shop remodel was completed just last year.
ReplyDeleteNow, according to the Portland Tribune, PCC wants to use money from this year's bond measure to tear down and rebuild the entire building. Apparently that $6 million remodel was a waste of money.
If I were the U.S. attorney, I'd be looking at the books out there. Someting isn't right.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the role of the community college has become somewhat redundant in today’s job market. A lot of the jobs that were plentiful maybe even 20 years are now done by automation or have vanished entirely. One good thing that they can provide is vocational training like HVAC training and the like. It mentioned that they are losing money (not in those words) with their ESL and GED classes. Why would these even need to be offered at a community college, when they could be available in smaller and closer locations like grade schools after hours?
ReplyDeleteI remember when Irvington School used to have classes such as these, as well as computing courses and remedial classes in stuff like math and English. I took those there myself, and it was odd going back to my grade school for class after 20 years. Likewise, I went back to my high school for GED preparedness classes. Which was odd in itself as my high school ‘career’ was quite unflattering and unfruitful.