Nearly 8,000 students are on waitlists at College of the Canyons as demand for the Santa Clarita Valley’s only community college has soared while the number of classes it offers has dropped.

Already in the second week of classes, 94 percent of classes are completely full. An estimated 23,000 students have hit the school’s campuses in Valencia and Canyon Country, according to the college’s latest data.

Meanwhile, it’s offering fewer classes — 1,348 courses this semester, a 14.4 percent drop from the same time two years ago, according to the figures.

That put 7,851 students on wait lists on the first day of classes, with the wait list for each course at COC capped at 10 students.

College officials said they’re trying to offer as many high-demand classes as possible while eliminating traditionally low-enrolled classes.

“We’ve made ourselves as efficient as possible,” said Scott Wilk, president of the Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees, which oversees COC.

And it’s forced students to think more efficiently, too — figuring out how they can get into courses they need to transfer or graduate.

“I think students have a firmer grasp with how important and precious higher education is,” Wilk said.

State woes
COC joins the rest of California’s community colleges that have dealt with soaring demand and limited financial resources to serve students.

The economic downturn paired with the issue of displaced students from the University of California and California State University systems has put community colleges in a bind.

Not to mention, California saw its largest graduating class of high school students this year.

The demand comes as the state has gone nearly 60 days without adopting a budget, which means a blockage in all state payments to community colleges.

“It’s a shame that the state can’t get its act together to pass a budget,” COC trustee Bruce Fortine said.

Already, a $116 million payment to community colleges was delayed in July, along with $277 million expected in August, according to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s office.

“The reality is with the delayed budget things are getting worse. The community colleges and California’s college students are at a greater risk than ever before,” Jack Scott, California Community Colleges Chancellor, said in a statement Friday.

Wilk said he was frustrated at the state’s lack of a long-range outlook.

“We do so much planning at the college,” Wilk said. “I don’t think there’s any planning in Sacramento. They never take a holistic approach.”

COC fights
As the battle for state dollars continue, local trustees have continued the fight to give community colleges the money they need.

Fortine said he personally calls legislators to advocate for College of the Canyons.

And Fortine and other trustees join Santa Clarita Valley’s leaders and educators on the annual bus trip to Sacramento, where they lobby for money and programs involving the local community.

“Until we find a way to fix it,” Fortine said. “It’s not going to change.”

Fortine, who served on COC’s founding board 40 years ago, recalled when there were 400 students, compared to the more than 20,000 who take classes annually.

“We have come a long way,” Fortine said.

Yet COC is outperforming community colleges across the state, many which have completely eliminated summer or winter sessions because of funding cuts, Fortine said.

“The reaction is really amazing because other colleges don’t necessarily do what we do,” Fortine said. “It’s just a different mindset here at COC.”