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Gavilan College’s 2023-24 enrollment was the first to reach the pre-pandemic level, at 5,074 full-time equivalent students (FTES). This metric is used to calculate how much revenue the school receives from the county and state.
Gavilan’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the school’s 2024-25 fiscal year budget at its Sept. 10 meeting. Vice President of Administrative Services Marilyn Morikang gave a presentation on the budget before the board voted.
Morikang said enrollment patterns at Gavilan have changed the administration’s approach to the budget.
“For the next five years, which is ’24-’25 and ’25-’26, we’re keeping the FTES the same because we have reached our maximum FTES funding from the state,” Morikang said. “So we’re transitioning the district from growth to retention.”
Between Gavilan’s leftover money from the previous fiscal year and the projected revenue for 2024-25, the college expects to have a budget of approximately $345 million. Gavilan estimates it spent $290 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
The board also voted to increase Gavilan’s Gann limit. Gann is an initiative that is part of a 1979 constitutional amendment in California designed to limit the growth of local government spending. A California education bill passed in 2021 changed the requirements for calculating a school district’s Gann limit.
Director of Capital Projects Serafin Fernandez gave updates on Measure X during the meeting. A bond measure designed to fund a set of improvements at Gavilan, Measure X, if passed, would include funds for an expansion of the campus in Hollister.
Fernandez said the Hollister campus is nearing completion.
“We’ve had a couple of tours in the last couple of weeks, showcasing what is about an 85% complete building,” Fernandez said. “We are currently working on a lot of the interior low-voltage, which has to do with the actual IT.”
The board also approved three items for the San Benito Campus. Two involved purchasing more furniture and computer equipment.
The other was a contract with environmental consulting company Dudek to provide additional services. The services would ensure the campus complies with newer California Department of Fish and Wildlife standards.
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