City College of San Francisco is on the brink of disaster, and every tool available should be given to the administration and those who oversee the school in order to move the college toward a sustainable future in which it will be able to continue to serve the community.

We support Proposition A, a parcel tax that would go toward offsetting the $53 million in state cuts the college has endured in the last three years. The funds raised by the $79 per parcel levy are critical for the college to protect services for the more than 100,000 students who attend the school.

Critics of the parcel tax say that the college has mismanaged its funds, which is part of the reason it is being forced to jump through hoops in order to keep its accreditation. We agree that the college has had problems in the past, but the accreditation process is putting operating and oversight of the college under the microscope, and there will be more scrutiny than ever about spending — even for this parcel tax, which will have its own oversight committee.

Nonetheless, City College is a lifeline for San Franciscans who are seeking a higher education in order to transfer to a four-year college or learn skills to go out and get a job. Vote yes on Prop. A to help keep this vital resource functioning properly.