2-2-07 In a 4-1 Vote, Compton and El Camino Adopt Contract

Volume 20 For Publication Date: February 2, 2007 No. 3

In a 4-1 Vote, Compton and El Camino Adopt Contract

This is the second in our series on the importance of Assembly Bill 318 (Chapter 50/2006). Working under a temporary contract set to expire on June 30, 2007, the Board of Trustees of the El Camino Community College District has finally approved a five- year contract to run the Compton Community Educational Center.

Since Compton College’s accreditation was terminated on August 23, 2006, the campus has continued to struggle in sustaining its partnership with El Camino, which came to the aid of Compton in submitting the lone bid to run the campus. However, the students and staff of Compton now have some stability and El Camino has financial incentives and additional responsibilities under the new contract set to expire on June 30, 2011. Both parties have an out-clause if needed, with six months’ notice and at the end of an academic semester.

The El Camino board debated this issue for several months before reaching its decision and the necessary votes on January 22, 2006. The main concern was focused on no “out-clause” for El Camino as the partner district under AB 318. It was touch and go for El Camino, since it was unclear whether there were going to be a sufficient number of supporting votes to make the contract a permanent five-year fixture. The System Chancellor, Dr. Mark Drummond, indicated that the Board of Governors and his office were ready to pursue an alternate plan if the votes fell short on Monday. The state-appointed Special Trustee to Compton, Tom Henry, indicated the importance of this vote as something “that has never been done before.” He is positive that this arrangement is geared toward helping students.

The Mayor of Compton, Eric Perrodin, supported the vote, asserting that without this Compton College would be closing and that is just not an option for the community. However, Marie Hollis, President of the Concerned Citizens of Compton, did express concern that El Camino’s goal was to take over Compton completely and not help it seek re-accreditation.

Under the new contract, El Camino Community College District is now eligible to receive $3.5 million dollars from Compton. The contract specifies that it is “conditional upon El Camino receiving additional annual state funding of at least $2,000,000 based upon operating a Center and based upon enrollment in excess of 20,000 FTES. Within thirty (30) days of the execution of this Memorandum of Understanding, Compton shall remit to El Camino the sum of $500,000 towards the full compensation that El Camino shall be entitled to receive for administrative overhead it will incur preparing for and implementing this Memorandum of Understanding. Other reimbursable expenditures, not to exceed $1,000,000 annually, shall be paid promptly by Compton upon submission by El Camino of appropriate invoices.”

Assembly Bill 318 provides six to eight years for Compton to become re-accredited and, for now, only time will tell what the future holds for the partnership and for re-accreditation. The next step is clean-up legislation to address areas outlined in the new Memorandum of Understanding, and the System Office has indicated that there is time to do so—the partnership needed to be in place and running before going back to the Legislature. We are all hopeful that Compton will once again regain its autonomy, and we will continue to keep you posted on this very important issue.

—Jamillah Moore, Ed.D.