The break-down means a June election on Governor Jerry Brown's plan to extend tax increases isn't possible. Lawmakers have already cut community colleges by 400 million dollars. Without the new tax revenue, community college leaders say the cuts will likely double - and 400-thousand students will be turned away:
"This is a true educational tragedy unfolding in front of us."
Brice Harris is Chancellor of the Los Rios community college district in Sacramento. He's worried about the long-term effects:
"I think increasingly we're going to see our bright young folks leaving the state going other places to get an education and unfortunately they don't always come back to California as a result."
Community colleges are reducing the number of classes and
cutting staff through layoffs and attrition
