PROPOSITION 486 – The Arizona Expenditure Limit and Maricopa Community Colleges

What is the Expenditure Limit?

In 1980, Arizona voters established an expenditure limit to restrict how much a community college district, including Maricopa Community Colleges, can spend—even if funding is available.

How does it impact Maricopa Community Colleges?

The Expenditure Limit prohibits community colleges from spending money even if we have it in our budget. It is a cap that was created 44 years ago (in 1980) that no longer reflects the expenses associated with our current programs, services, and infrastructure.

For example, the expenditure limit does not account for increases in:

• Workforce Programs
• Technology Infrastructure (e.g. internet and computers)
• Career and Technical EducatIon (CTE)
• Non-credit Training
• Baccalaureate Degrees
• Programs That Serve High School Students

https://mccfa.org/news-media/el/

The growth across all 10 Maricopa Community Colleges put the institution in position to become the largest community college system in the nation. 

This fall, the 10 Maricopa Community Colleges anticipate enrolling over 100,000 students. This number includes more than 40,000 new and returning students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education.

https://www.queencreeksuntimes.com/local-news/maricopa-community-colleges-see-enrollment-growth-with-over-40000-first-generation-students-9390659

In late March, Gabriella Medina, 28, and Danelle Makofske, 45, walked into a community college classroom in Mesa, Arizona, hoping to set themselves up for a new career. 

“I was so scared,” Makofske said. “I came for a fresh start, really.” 

The semiconductor industry helped set up and fund the Quick Start program at Maricopa Community Colleges, a two-week course aimed at preparing students for entry-level jobs in the semiconductor industry. 

With visits from both first lady Jill Biden in 2022 and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in May, the program has been celebrated by the Joe Biden administration as a national model for workforce training. 

https://www.marketplace.org/2024/08/15/semiconductor-jobs-boom-program-phoenix-maricopa-quick-start-intel-chips-hiring/

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) has joined a group, focused on increasing the number of AI professionals across the country.

MCCCD is joining the National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium, which will receive $2.8 million in funding from the National Science Foundation to develop and implement AI courses, certificates and degree programs.

In a statement, district officials said as the field of AI is rapidly transforming industries and society, there’s a critical shortage of skilled AI professionals who can apply AI solutions to real-world problems.

https://www.kjzz.org/kjzz-news/2024-08-08/maricopa-county-community-college-district-to-launch-ai-degree-in-the-fall

The Maricopa County Community College District has joined the new National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium, which is focused on building a strong AI workforce nationwide.

https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/inno/stories/news/2024/08/06/maricopa-county-community-college-district-ai.html

Maricopa County voters in November will vote on Proposition 486 and decide whether the expenditure limit for the Maricopa County Community College District should be raised.

In 1980, Arizona voters established an expenditure limit to restrict how much a community college district, including Maricopa Community Colleges, can spend, even if funding is available. 

• The expenditure limit for Arizona community colleges is calculated each year based on veteran expenditures in 1979-80 multiplied by factors for inflation and enrollment. 
• The current base limit sits just above $52 million. 
• A community college district that exceeds its expenditure limitation is subject to penalties based on the percentage of the excess expenditures.

The proposed change 

Proposition 486 will permanently adjust the base on which the expenditure limit is calculated from approximately $52 million to roughly $105 million. 

• Adjusting the base limit will allow the community colleges to use their existing budget without penalty. 
• This adjustment will account for increases in workforce programs, technology infrastructure, career and technical education (CTE), non-credit training, baccalaureate degrees, and programs that serve high school students.

https://chamberbusinessnews.com/2024/07/23/arizona-voters-to-decide-whether-expenditure-limits-for-maricopa-community-colleges-should-be-increased/

In a historic first for Arizona’s community colleges, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) awarded the state’s first-ever four-year baccalaureate degrees during the commencement ceremonies. Rio Salado College had two students receive their Bachelor of Science degrees in Public Safety Administration. At South Mountain Community College, four students received their Bachelor of Science degrees in Behavioral Sciences.

MCCCD’s bachelor’s degrees are uniquely designed to demonstrate both a workforce need and student demand while also not unnecessarily duplicating programs already offered by traditional universities in Maricopa County. Therefore, the baccalaureate degree programs are strategically developed to provide a more detailed focus that fills targeted labor needs to alleviate Arizona’s workforce shortages in critical in-demand industries such as health care, information technology, K-12 education and public safety.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sponsor-story/maricopa-community-colleges/2024/06/07/mcccds-bachelors-degrees-are-an-affordable-investment-in-your-future/73998180007/

Some of the college district’s adjunct librarians and counselors have been fighting a pay cut intended to bring their wages closer to that of other adjunct faculty.

An impending pay cut for a group of adjunct faculty members has divided instructors in the Maricopa County Community College District for a second time. The roughly 20 percent cut, approved as part of a wider compensation plan at a Board of Governors meeting last week, will affect some adjunct faculty members who work as librarians and mental health counselors in the district.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/labor-unionization/2024/06/03/contentious-pay-cut-some-adjuncts-maricopa

X

Interim president for Mesa Community College Kimberly Britt announced on Feb. 27 a collaborative relationship between MCC, South Mountain Community College and Glendale Community College in an effort to combine resources for a joint search for a new Vice President of Academic Affairs at each of the three colleges.

https://mesalegend.com/maricopa-county-community-colleges-announce-collaborative-hiring-process/

Santa Fe College Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning, Dr. Lisa Armour, has been selected as the new Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost at Maricopa Community Colleges in Tempe, Arizona.

Dr. Armour has held leadership positions at SF since her arrival in 2011, serving as Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President for Assessment, Research and Technology. In June of 2021, she stepped into the role of interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, before returning to her position of Vice President in the newly named division of Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning.

https://news.sfcollege.edu/2023/10/25/vp-armour-named-executive-vice-chancellor-and-provost-at-maricopa-community-colleges/