Parcel Tax Funds Power Student Success: Highlights from the Latest Parcel Tax Oversight Committee Meeting

The Peralta Community College District's (PCCD) Parcel Tax Oversight Committee (PTOC) convened at PCCD headquarters on October 8, 2025, to review expenditures and receive in-depth presentations from the four College Presidents and the Finance team on how Measure E parcel tax funds are directly supporting core academic programs and student services.

The meeting, led by Vice Chair William Higgs and attended by committee members Myoshi Broadnax, Irene Kisch, Tammy Le, and Thomas Mulvihill, highlighted the parcel tax's vital role in funding classes, tutoring, and essential college resources across Berkeley City College (BCC), College of Alameda (CoA), Laney College, and Merritt College.

Funds Go Directly to the Classroom

A major theme of the evening was the parcel tax's impact on instruction. The Presidents emphasized that the majority of the allocation goes directly toward paying for part-time faculty to teach sections that would otherwise not be offered.

• Laney College Interim President Becky Opsata shared that a quarter of all classes offered this fall—145 sections—are funded by the parcel tax. Laney allocates approximately 87% of its total allocation directly to instruction.
• Merritt College President David M. Johnson noted that 75% of their funding supports part-time faculty teaching, allowing the college to meet high demand in programs like nursing and allied health.
• Berkeley City College President Denise Richardson reported that the funds cover 54 sections, or about 13.3% of their total offerings, focusing on core courses like biology, chemistry, English, math, and statistics.
•  College of Alameda Vice President of Instruction Dr. Nicole Porter explained that the funds are crucial for supporting adjunct faculty who bring current field experience into the classroom, particularly in high-demand fields like health occupations, math, and science.

Parcel Tax Dollars Bolster Student Support

In addition to instruction, the colleges detailed how the funds are used to strengthen student support services:

• BCC reported significant usage of its library, which saw 1,670 visitors per week and 1,464 appointments in 24 study rooms in Spring 2024 alone. Parcel tax funds also pay for Chemistry and Biology Lab Coordinators who support 30 lab sections per week.
• Laney College has centralized its tutoring services, funding tutors, and the SOAR (Student Onboarding and Retention) classified position in the Welcome Center.
• Merritt College highlighted the importance of funding counseling services, which are vital for student education planning, transfer preparation, and connecting students with social support to address challenges outside of the classroom.
• CoA shared how Librarians provide essential support by helping students develop strong research and information literacy skills. They collaborate closely with faculty to integrate research guidance into courses. The Learning Resource Center complements this work by offering individualized and group academic support/tutoring across disciplines.

Dr. Richardson shared a powerful example of the parcel tax's impact, telling the story of BCC’s 2024 Valedictorian, Derrick Carver, who transferred to UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Carver, who had legal issues and basic needs challenges, found a "second chance" at BCC, and he’s now on track to graduate from UC Berkeley in May. She referenced the heartwarming moment during the graduation speech when his daughter said, “Daddy,” a moment captured in this video of graduation highlights. Dr. Richardson thanked the committee and taxpayers, noting that BCC ranks Number 1 per capita among California Community Colleges for transfers to UC Berkeley.

The PTOC reviewed the Parcel Tax Expenditure Report for the first quarter (July–September 2025). The report showed that the colleges are on track with their spending plans and, in accordance with the voter-approved Measure E, have spent approximately 25% of the total $8 million annual obligation so far.

Top instructional areas where the funds were spent include:

• BCC: Chemistry, English, and Lab Science Technology.
• CoA: Other Health Occupations, Physiology, and Math.
• Laney: Math, Tutoring, and Spanish.
• Merritt: Physiology, Biotech, and English.

The next Parcel Tax Oversight Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, 2026.