CCSF Faces Structural Deficits as $592M Budget Reveals Flat Revenue and Rising Costs

The City College of San Francisco Governing Board spent more than five hours Wednesday wrestling with the fiscal math that will define the institution's next decade: a $592 million tentative budget that projects deficit spending beginning next fiscal year, reserves potentially cratering from 33% to 9%, and a $20 million-a-year parcel tax that trustees aren't sure voters will renew. Meanwhile, census-based heat maps revealed that the San Franciscans who need adult education the most live in neighborhoods with the least access to CCSF.

• $592M tentative budget projects structural deficits starting FY 2027-28 as flat revenue collides with rising compensation costs

• Parcel tax renewal in 2028 is a make-or-break moment — losing $20M a year would be "catastrophic," yet the board is pushing for budget scenarios that assume it won't arrive on time

• Adult education heat maps expose access deserts in the Sunset, Richmond, and Bayview, where the highest-need populations have the least transit access to CCSF centers

• Public commenters demand Downtown campus ESL restoration, reporting 70% of summer classes already full

• Bond List Revision #5 earmarks $20M across 20 facilities projects and captures $8M in interest earnings

• Board plans Brown Act training and ACCT conference after expressing frustration with existing professional development

Vice Chancellor Julian Ligioso laid out a sobering financial picture for FY 2026-2027 during a lengthy study session that consumed the bulk of the evening.