WHEREAS, In January of 2025, several wildfires have broken out, burning 50,000+ acres and destroying 16,000+ structures[1] in Southern California, affecting and displacing thousands of California Community College students in Regions VI, VII, VIII, and X, while in 2024, 1,050,012 acres were burned across the state over the course of 8,024 wildfires, which resulted in 2,148 structures destroyed[2];
WHEREAS, The CZU fires of 2020 and Pajaro Valley floods of 2023 decreased full-time equivalent students (FTES) in the Cabrillo Community College District from about 10,000 FTES in 2019 to a low of 7,240 FTES in 2021 to now around 8,000 FTES in 2024[3], which has caused the Chancellor’s Office to hold Cabrillo College harmless when it comes to funding since the district’s enrollment has not recovered to pre-natural disaster levels;
WHEREAS, It will likely take years for colleges like Pasadena City College and Santa Monica College to recover from the January 2025 fires and the likely incoming decrease in FTES, which will cause the Chancellor's Office to hold Pasadena City College and Santa Monica College harmless in terms of funding for the years to come; and
WHEREAS, There has been no comprehensive study on the impact that fires and other natural disasters have on community colleges, but especially community college students, which, if such a report were created, could serve as a basis to provide support and aid to community college students who are victims of future natural disasters; Now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges call upon the Chancellor's Office and the Legislature to commission a report on the study of the impact that fires and other natural disasters have on community colleges and specifically community college students, which such report shall serve the purpose of creating meaningful legislation to support community college students during natural disasters;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, in the event of a fire or any other natural disaster that greatly impacts California Community College students, will monitor the impacts and recovery efforts that such natural disaster haveon students and work with the Chancellor’s Office, system partners, and other organization to advocate for additional resources including funding to help students continue their education with minimal distuption;
RESOLVED, That the Student Senate for California Community Colleges support any and all legislation that provides disaster relief to community college students who were affected by the 2025 fires.
Citations:
[1] https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents
[2] https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024
[3] https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DFcQjxrSdtmQqZtdLo26DlOsq6u2ip0u/view