But the two-year-old campus won’t be entirely spared in the grim budget season faced by the San Mateo Community College District.
College of San Mateo officials say they can no longer afford to keep the Coastside branch at the Shoreline Station campus, which cost about $130,000 a year in rent.
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College officials met last week with CUSD Superintendent Rob Gaskill to discuss whether a classroom-sharing arrangement could work between the districts. The talks were preliminary but both groups plan to explore the idea further in the coming months.
“It’s a coincidence that we’re all looking for additional revenues, and rental fees are one way to do it,” said Michael Claire, CSM president. “One way or another we’re going to meet the educational needs of the coast.”
Holding college courses at local public schools isn’t a new practice. The college district rented out school classrooms before it moved into a more permanent campus at the Shoreline Station.
CSM officials predict they would now need about three classrooms, but that depends on scheduling for next year’s course offerings, which will likely face reductions.
The Cabrillo school district currently charges $34 an hour for nonprofit groups to rent a classroom. That rental cost will likely be bumped up to $51 an hour next year under a new cost-saving plan being considered by the school board.
CSM officials indicated the board members for the college district signaled they wanted to retain some college offerings on the Coastside, even though it is unclear right now what will be feasible.
“There is a certainty that we’ll be offering Coastside classes, but first we have to work out the details,” said Susan Estes, CSM Vice President of Instruction. “We do have reductions across the district, and we won’t be able to offer as many classes.”
For supporters, retaining the Coastside campus for another year is certainly good news. The Coastside CSM campus, which costs about $400,000 annually, seemed like a certain cutback as the college district entered its budget deliberations earlier this year. One local college official described the campus as essentially “hanging by a thread.”
“This sounds great!” said Donna McCurdy, a Moss Beach mother who hoped her son could supplement his high school course load with a few college classes. Having the college and public school cooperate sounded fabulous to her.
“The school district gets more rent, and the high school students can still have the college courses they want to take,” she said.
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