Solano Community College in California drops football and aquatics teams
The San Jose Mercury News
March 8, 2012
It's official -- Solano Community College will no longer have football or aquatics teams.
On Wednesday night, SCC governing board members voted 4-2 to end the programs. Trustees Phil McCaffrey and Denis Honeychurch were the only dissenters.
Following nearly three hours of impassioned testimony by students, staff and community members, trustees made their final determination.
"It was a tough, tough decision," Trustee Sarah Chapman said following the meeting.
Faced with a $4.8 million deficit, board members needed to act to bridge the gap. Cuts also included the layoff of two full-time tenured teachers, including a popular assistant football coach.
Superintendent-President Jowel Laguerre said the action may be temporary, as those who spoke out had pledged to raise funding and save the programs.
"We said, 'If you come up with the funds, we can always reconsider,' " Laguerre said after the meeting.
Football coach Floyd Burnsed, a Vallejo resident, has said his budget has been getting smaller and smaller every year while college administrators said the school must focus on core academics and career preparation.
The college already shelved summer school, an unpopular move to save $1 million. The move also prompted students to collect petition signatures and pledge to protest at Wednesday's board meeting as well.
