Title
Authorizing Council's Committee on Finance and the Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy to hold hearings regarding the development
of a responsible financial plan to meet the City's requirement to adequately fund the
Community College of Philadelphia as required by State law.
Body
WHEREAS, The
Community College of Philadelphia is a vital institution
of higher education,
offering more than 70 associate's degree and academic and pr
oficiency certificate programs that are accessible to a wide cross-section
of Philadelphians; and
WHEREAS, During the 2017-2018 academic year, the
Community College of Philadelphia enrolled approximately 27,729 students including 13,361 full time students. The diverse racial makeup
of its students is as follows: 50.8% African-American, 24.1% White, 14.8% Hispanic/Latino, 10.4% Asian/Pacific Islander, and .3% Native American; and
WHEREAS, The role
of community colleges is crucial to strengthening the regional workforce in an increasingly technological and global world. Furthermore, they are an invaluable resource in our communities in addressing some
of our most pressing issues; and
WHEREAS, When the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania founded
community colleges in 1963, it mandated equal funding from three sources: the State, the City, and students; and
WHEREAS, The City has not been meeting its mandatory minimum appropriations to the
Community College of Philadelphia for many years. As a result, there is an increasing financial burden placed on the students; and
WHEREAS,
Community College of Philadelphia's operating budget for the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 is $134,712,576. Students provide 55%
of the revenue through tuition and fees while the State is only providing 24% and the City is only providing 19%; and
WHEREAS, It is long overdue to critically examine why the City
of Philadelphia has not been providing the minimum revenues required by the State to fund
Community College of Philadelphia; an...
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