With a storm of budget cuts raging across California, Skyline College’s Academic Senate is currently trying to head off a “disaster” they believe is heading the school’s way.According to documents received by the Senate, full-time staff salaries went down over 13 percent, classified salaries dropped over 5 percent, and administrative salaries went up over 4 percent district wide.The school has also cut down classes dramatically and is filling classes with more students than the classes should have. The Senate is stepping up and saying enough is enough.”There are so many students in classes that it effects their education,” said George Buckingham, a member of the Academic Senate. “They are getting desperate. Students are in classes they shouldn’t be in.”The Senate is also afraid of what they call a “downward spiral effect.” Due to initial budget cuts sections have been cut, and many students have been turned away because of full classes. With fewer students enrolled than the school could actually handle, Skyline expects it could receive an even more reduced amount of funding from the state. This means that it will be even harder to lift the school out of the financial pit it is in.”We don’t want to see any more cuts for the faculty and no more cuts in sections,” said Nick Kapp, president of the senate. “No one wants to see any cuts. It’s hard, we have an economic situation where things have to go.””Students are our business,” said Linda Whitten, who is the lead of accounting for the school’s Budget Committee. “Our mission is our students. Therefore, we have to do the best with our money for our students.”The first step the Senate has taken is sending a letter to the school’s president, Dr. Frances White, and the school’s Budget Committee.In the letter the Senate states four concerns that they have: 1) district administrative jobs are not being proportionally cut with faculty cuts, 2) there have been greater cuts to instruction at Skyline than at College of San Mateo or Caada that hurt enrollment and “instructional access” for students which hasn’t been recognized, 3) Skyline will receive a smaller budget in the 2004-2005 budget plan and 4) the Senate is worried about student success rates and progress in relation to the cuts.”The college that has suffered the most is Skyline,” Buckingham said, “Fifteen students wanted to enroll in one of my classes but I could only let in six. I had to hold a lottery. It’s distressing to the faculty.”The letter also goes on to give three recommendations for the upcoming budget plan: First, they ask that the 2004-2005 budget plan restore 50 percent of the instructional cuts made in the past year. Second, they request a 10 percent increase in the number of full-time faculty, and finally, that Skyline do research to see to what extent these instructional cuts have impacted students.What could compound the problems even more is if Gov. Schwarzenegger’s bond measure is not passed when it comes up for a vote on March 2. This could be devastating to Skyline because the school district’s budget could be slashed by 25 percent.”The best case scenario is if the bond passes,” Whitten said. “If it does there should be no cuts. But that’s if the governor gives us what he says he will.”The biggest issue is that voters don’t look to want to pass the bond, with polls currently showing that the measure doesn’t have much support.”It’s like the governor has a gun to our heads,” Kapp said. “Borrow this money or else. You don’t like 10 percent cuts, well, how about 25 percent cuts? No matter what happens, I hope students know we will still be here for them.”