Mail-in ballots go out in a couple weeks, which means San Franciscans can start voting soon.
On that ballot, voters will see eight people running for three spots on the San Francisco Community College Board. None of the incumbents in those seats are running again.
A fourth trustee, Ruth Ferguson, is running uncontested for her seat, which Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed her to in January. Her name will appear separately on the ballot.
The race is important. City College (CCSF) is a public community college with a 90-year history. It serves about 40,000 students.
CCSF graduates go on to earn double the income of graduates from comparable schools, according to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. And they pay significantly less to attend. In fact, many pay no tuition.
In 2017, San Francisco became the first city in the country to offer free tuition to its residents.
But CCSF has struggled in recent years. Mismanagement of its finances a decade ago almost forced the school to close. It survived but suffered a massive blow to its enrollment, leading to fewer state dollars and budget cuts. It laid off staff, canceled classes, and this summer closed its Downtown campus.
Enrollment has ticked up slightly in the past few years, but those elected to City College’s board will still face tough decisions, so KALW asked all of them what they would cut or consolidate and what they would protect.
Three of the candidates — Elijah Ball, Monroe Lace, and Erwin Tam — are running together. Ball is a campus planner, Lace is a teacher, and Tam is a finance executive. They're taking a pragmatic approach.
This group has been endorsed by Mayor Daniel Lurie, three current City College trustees — Heather McCarty, Ruth Ferguson, and Luis Zamora — and the San Francisco Democratic Party. Collectively and individually, they have raised more money than the other candidates.
Ball reported $24,210 in campaign contributions — the highest amount in the race. Tam and Lace have raised $22,705 and $16,380 respectively.
Ball told KALW he would consolidate unused physical space and protect Cantonese language courses.
“The Downtown Campus closure earlier this year is unfortunate and exemplifies a deepening misalignment,” he said. “The college needs to look at these metrics much earlier, before it's too late and another facility closure occurs.”
Lace and Tam did not respond to multiple emailed requests for comment.
Three other candidates — Leah LaCroix, Jeremy Lee, and Bunny McFadden — have partnered up as well. LaCroix is a former city government worker, Lee is a nonprofit asset manager, and McFadden is an educator. This social media savvy slate has garnered support from a number of progressive groups in the city.
McFadden has raised $13,468, Lee has raised $7,632, and LaCroix has raised $4,937.
LaCroix and Lee both told KALW they would cut administrative positions and protect certain kinds of classes.
LaCroix pointed to the importance of non-credit offerings. Lee emphasized high-demand classes, including the Cantonese program, which he said has more interested students than its one part-time instructor can accomodate. “We leave revenue and enrollment growth on the table when students have to fight each other for spots in basic classes,” Lee wrote to KALW.
McFadden did not identify a program or expense she would cut. “I will protect our students, because they deserve an elected representative who recognizes their value is far more than monetary,” she said. “The answer can’t always be a firm hand and a tight fist on the coin purse.”
A joint website for LaCroix, Lee, and McFadden lists endorsements from the California Working Families Party, the City College’s faculty union, and Supervisor Connie Chan.
Another candidate, Rome Moses Jones — a real estate broker and nonprofit director — said he would consolidate underutilized facilities and/or use them to generate revenue. Jones does not appear to have filed paperwork required by the San Francisco Ethics Commission to collect campaign contributions.
Candidate Lisa Wynn does not have a website or social media listing her contact information. KALW reached out to her but did not hear back. Wynn has not reported any campaign contributions.
Neither Wynn nor Jones has a website listing endorsements.
Almost all the candidates who spoke to KALW said they would protect the Free City program.
