(from left to right: Commander, Youth and Community Programs Task Force, Brigadier General (CA) James L. Gabrielli;  Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva; Youth and Community Programs Task Force Director of Starbase, Los Alamitos, Stacey Hendrickson; and  Sandra Sainz, Senior Enlisted NCOIC)

SACRAMENTO – In further efforts to bring California tax dollars to Orange County, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D – Orange County) has secured a total of $1.7 million in funding for a critical Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education program to expand the STARBASE youth program at the Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos Department. While the federal government pays for all operating costs associated with STARBASE, the Department of Defense looked to Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva and the State of California to help provide classrooms for the program. 

         STARBASE, Los Alamitos, serves schools from 5 counties in California; Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego. Although it is anticipated that STARBASE Los Alamitos will host 3000 students, from 105 fifth grade classes in the 2017-18 school year, there is a waiting list of 46 classes that cannot be accommodated. The budget augmentation in this request will allow for the construction of a new 3,500 square foot building at the National Guard Base at Los Alamitos which will include two STARBASE classrooms that will allow an additional 2,000 students to attend the program each year, eliminating the waiting list for potential students.

         “As a teacher of over 20 years, I am very familiar with the importance of investing in the future of our children, through education. Investing in STEM education is, and will continue to be, an imperative focus of our State” said Quirk-Silva. Investing in an education that is focused on these subjects is investing in the future of these inspired boys and girls, AND the workforce and economy of this nation.”

(Orange County, CA) – After many efforts to secure more funding for schools, and freezing tuition costs for state universities, Asssemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D – Orange County) released the following statement regarding the decision by the University of California (UC) Board of Regents to decrease in tuition for the 2018-19 academic year.

“It is about time the UC Regents gave middle class families a break. Too many families are struggling to give their children better lives. Needlessly raising fees while there are secret coffers of money, and a bloated bureaucracy that should be cut, is ridiculous,” said Quirk-Silva. “A $60 decrease is a step in the right direction, but ultimately not enough. Tuition and fees still remain unaffordable for many.”

Earlier this year, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva introduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment 27 (ACA 27), which checks the power of the UC Regents and the UC President. The legislation would require greater transparency and openness in setting salaries, and how the UC system spends money. Quirk-Silva called on the UC Regents to halt any discussion of a tuition increase until the public had a better understanding of the UC system’s financial standing.

"My broader concerns have been somewhat allayed by the recent news of a tuition decrease, though my continued focus is transparency and accountability, and making sure funding continues to benefit students. Everyday Californians struggle to afford higher education, while most UC Regents are multi-millionaires,” said Quirk-Silva. “I will continue to stand by students and advocate for more relief from the burden of college debt. The Regents must remain accountable.”

In 2016, Quirk-Silva authored Assembly Bill 393: The Student Protection Act in response to the financial challenges faced by today’s college students, including deepening debt and long work hours necessary to supplement their educational costs. The bill would have placed a moratorium on student tuition and fees at California’s public community colleges and state universities.

In 2017, the state auditor uncovered $175 million reserve held by the administration of the University of California. Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva participated in a joint hearing to discuss the recent state audit of the University of California Office of the President titled, “The University of California Office of the President: It Failed to Disclose Tens of Millions in Surplus Funds, and Its Budget Practices are Misleading.” She then called for the immediate resignation of UC President Janet Napolitano.

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