Elijah Ball

• Office: Community College Board
• Election Date: November 3, 2026
• Candidate: Elijah Ball
• Due Date: July 31, 2026
• Printable Version

Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 3, 2026 election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city delivered via common sense solutions and effective government. Our work includes running public opinion polls to understand what voters want, advocating for those changes, and ensuring that the SF government represents the people.

The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco.

This questionnaire will be published on growsf.org, and so we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Please complete this questionnaire by July 31, 2026 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.

Note: This questionnaire will use the initialism “CCSF” when referring to the Community College of San Francisco.

• Your Goals
• Executive Leadership
• The Issues
• Personal
• Thank you

Your Goals

We’d like to get some details about your high-level goals and how you intend to use your elected office to achieve them.

The Community College Board of Trustees have three major responsibilities as the governing body of CCSF: (1) hiring, evaluating, and holding the Chancellor accountable to achieving CCSF’s mission, (2) ensuring fiscal solvency and long term institutional sustainability, and (3) setting policy, mission, and strategic direction that makes CCSF a valued community institution. What do you believe is your most relevant experience, perspective(s), or idea(s) that makes you uniquely qualified to be an effective Trustee?

I’m a college campus planner, helping colleges across the country, including California community colleges, prepare for the future. Day to day, I listen to college leaders, faculty, staff, and students to understand their needs, set priorities, and help turn their shared vision into a long-term plan. This experience has shown me how choices about enrollment, academic programs, facilities, and finances are all connected. As a Trustee, I would use this long-term perspective, ask thoughtful questions, and help the Board of Trustees stay focused on student success and financial stability. I believe that with a vision and a clear plan, City College can become the best in the nation.

How do you intend to use your experience to make CCSF stronger? Please name 1-3 goals you have for your term as Trustee.

I have experience working with community college districts across California on projects of different sizes. I served as a campus planner for Folsom Lake College’s 2025 Facilities Master Plan update and worked on state capital funding proposals for Long Beach City College and Pasadena City College. This experience taught me how enrollment, academic programs, facilities, and finances must be aligned. I have also brought administrators, faculty, students, and technical experts together to set priorities and plan campus improvements.

As a Trustee, I would use this experience to ask critical questions, focus on long-term needs, and carefully review City College’s upcoming Master Plan before the Board of Trustees final approval.

My three goals would be:

1. Strengthen City College’s long-term finances: Decisions should be based on a five-year outlook that carefully considers enrollment, staffing, salaries, and other costs…not just the next one or two years.
2. Improve enrollment and student completions: I would track the results of the 2024 Strategic Enrollment Management Plan (SEMP) in recruitment, retention, partnerships, and completion. We should build on what is working and make changes where progress is falling short.
3. Create a new future for the Downtown Campus that closed this year: I would encourage the exploration of public - private partnerships that could generate revenue, support students, and reconnect the campus with the surrounding community.

Will the power of the office of the Board of Trustees be enough to achieve these goals?

The Board has enough to move these goals forward, but it cannot carry them out alone. The Board can set policy, approve budgets and long-term plans, and hold the Chancellor accountable for results. The Chancellor, administrators, faculty, and staff are responsible for carrying out that direction. As a Trustee, I would work with my Board colleagues to set clear expectations, ask careful questions, and require regular updates on our progress without interfering in the College’s daily operations.

What is an existing Board of Trustees, or CCSF policy, you would like to reform?

I would reform Board Policy 5.10 on Matriculation to make annual counseling or education-plan reviews standard for students pursuing a degree, certificate, or transfer. Currently, students create an education plan when they begin at CCSF, but regular counseling is not required throughout their tenure. Annual check-ins could help students choose the right courses, address problems early, and stay on track to complete their programs or transfer. Before adopting this requirement, CCSF would need to ensure it has enough counselors and offers convenient in-person and online appointments so the policy supports students without becoming another barrier. Better retention and completion would benefit students while also strengthening the College’s financial position.

What is an "out there" change that you would make to state/local government policy, if you could? For the purpose of this question, you are not constrained to the office of the Board of Trustees.

If I could change state policy, I would adjust the Student-Centered Funding Formula to account for local costs and population differences. CCSF’s funding floor is based on its 2024–25 funding and does not automatically receive the full annual cost-of-living adjustment. As expenses rise, the value of that funding will continue to decline. The formula also does not fully account for San Francisco’s older population and smaller number of traditional college-age residents. I would provide additional funding for colleges serving older adults, working students, and people returning to school for career training. This would give CCSF a fairer and more stable funding path while still holding the College accountable for increasing enrollment, retention, and completion.

Executive Leadership

Please describe your experience running or governing large organizations, managing teams (including hiring, firing, and performance management), driving cultural change and clear communication throughout all levels, effective financial management (budgets, reporting, audit, etc.), and any other relevant experience you will bring to this office.

My leadership experience comes from campus planning and service on civic and professional boards. I have worked with more than a dozen colleges and helped produce seven campus master plans. This required coordinating administrators, faculty, students, planners, architects, and engineers while setting deadlines, reviewing work, and communicating recommendations to leadership. I have also conducted an internal organizational assessment and worked with an executive leader to turn the findings into an implementation plan with regular progress reviews. My financial experience includes prioritizing and phasing capital projects and preparing state funding proposals based on enrollment, academic programs, facility needs, and available resources.

One of the most critical roles for the Board of Trustees is to hire/fire, evaluate, and hold accountable the Chancellor. Please describe your experience working with an executive leader to hold them accountable.

Note: Please remember that this questionnaire will be public, so do not include any personally identifiable information.

In a previous role, I completed an internal assessment and presented the findings to an executive leader. I didn’t want the work to lose traction amongst competing priorities, so I pushed for a plan with deadlines and check-ins throughout the year. Those meetings allowed us to discuss what had been completed, what the roadblocks were, and what the necessary next steps were. I would take a similar approach with the Chancellor. I would be clear about what the Board expects, check progress throughout the year, and be direct when something is not working.

In general, how do you approach making difficult decisions that you deem necessary even if unpopular? Please share a relevant example, if applicable.

I approach making difficult decisions by gathering facts, getting input from any affected parties, and clearly explaining options and trade-offs. People should understand what problem must be solved, what alternatives were considered, and why a decision is in the best interest, and that’s normally thinking long-term. Public input is essential to inform the decision, but the Board must ultimately exercise its responsibility to act. I also believe personal accountability is a must when decisions are made.

In campus planning, limited funding often means deciding which projects are a priority and should move forward and which must wait. I have helped college leaders compare projects based on safety, student needs, enrollment, cost, and readiness. These conversations aren’t always easy, but starting early, using consistent standards, and explaining the reasoning leads to better decisions.

The Issues

Next, we will cover the issues that voters tell us they care about. We hope to gain a better understanding of your policy positions, and we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.

Please describe the current budget allocation of CCSF.

The following statement reflects the shared understanding that my slate mates, Erwin Tam and Monroe Lace, and I have of City College’s current budget and financial outlook. We believe this common foundation will help us make responsible, informed financial decisions for the College:

The Board of Trustees approved CCSF’s Tentative Budget for FY2026-27 on June 25, 2026. The tentative budget included $204.4 million of unrestricted revenue (down $4.7 million from the prior year, or -2.2%). Unrestricted expenditures were $199.4 million (an increase of $14.0 million from the prior year, or 7.5%). Transfers out to other funds were $4.3 million (down $8.1 million from the prior year or -65.1%). This resulted in unrestricted net income of $581,645 (down $10.5 million from the prior year or -94.8%).

Unrestricted fund expenditures consist mainly of personnel costs, including academic salaries ($72.9 million), classified salaries ($46.4 million), and benefits ($60.6 million). In total, unrestricted personnel costs are $179.9 million or 88.2% of the overall unrestricted expenditure budget. The remaining expenditures consist of $17.5 million for services and other operating, $1.3 million for supplies and materials, $0.8 million for equipment, and $4.3 million for transfers out.

The tentative budget included $80.2 million of restricted revenue (an increase of $31.7 million from the prior year, or 65%). Restricted expenditures were $63.7 million (an increase of $25.1 million from the prior year, or 65%). Transfers out to other funds were $16.5 million (an increase of $6.7 million or 68%). A significant 72% increase in state funding was the primary driver of the increase in restricted revenue.

Restricted fund expenditures consist mainly of personnel costs, including academic salaries ($15.3 million), classified salaries ($19.1 million), and benefits ($11.4 million). In total, restricted personnel costs are $45.8 million or 71.9% of the overall restricted expenditure budget. The remaining expenditures consist of $11.4 million for services and other operating, $3.6 million for supplies and materials, $2.9 million for equipment, and $16.5 million in transfers out.

CCSF’s parcel tax also contributes significantly to the operations of the College with $19.8 million in revenue. Parcel tax expenditures consist of personnel costs, including academic salaries ($4.1 million), classified salaries ($7.8 million), and benefits ($4.7 million). The remaining expenditures consist of $3.1 million for services and other operating, $0.1 million for supplies and materials, and $0.1 million for equipment.

CCSF has faced repeated fiscal instability. What do you see as the structural drivers of CCSF’s financial challenges? And what will you do, as Trustee, to ensure CCSF moves toward long-term fiscal sustainability?

CCSF’s main financial challenge comes from rising expenses while revenue remains mostly flat. Since the 2018–19 academic year, when the state introduced the Student Centered Funding Formula (SCFF), City College has lost about 6,500 Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTES). Because the SCFF considers FTES, the number of low-income students, and outcomes like completion and transfer, City College can’t just focus on increasing student headcount. The college needs to implement its Strategic Enrollment Management Plan by improving outreach, retention, completion, and transfer.

CCSF’s finances are limited by a frozen state funding floor. The college does not get the full benefit of state cost-of-living adjustments because its formula-based revenue remains below the funding floor. Meanwhile, costs like employee benefits and utilities continue to rise. If the structural deficit is not fixed, CCSF’s reserves could drop from about 32% to 6% by 2029–30.

CCSF runs multiple campuses and centers relative to its current FTES and faces deferred maintenance and enrollment requirements tied to center funding. Earlier this year, CCSF announced it will stop offering classes at the Downtown Center starting fall 2026. The district said no jobs would be lost and programs would be moved, not cut.

With my experience as a campus planner, it’s clear there was a long-term misalignment between enrollment and space use at the Downtown Center. The key lesson is that City College needs to identify challenges earlier and plan proactively instead of waiting for a sudden closure. As Trustee, I will work where appropriate for City College to better coordinate enrollment, educational, and facilities planning so CCSF can use its buildings responsibly, address maintenance needs, and preserve neighborhood access through partnerships or alternative locations whenever possible.

As a Trustee, I’ll want a five-year financial plan with targets for enrollment, spending, and reserves. I’ll push to make sure that every budget decision supports City College’s mission and student success.

San Francisco’s economy and the workforce landscape is changing. What new, existing, or re-imagined programs do you believe CCSF should prioritize over the next four years to ensure its students are getting a valuable education?

Over the next four years, City College should focus its energy on improving programs that students and employers already value. Choices should be based on enrollment numbers, course demand, graduation and transfer rates, job placement, wages, and local job market trends. This supports City College’s Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, which focuses on attracting new students, keeping them enrolled, and helping them finish. It also aligns with the Student Centered Funding Formula, which looks at enrollment, degrees and certificates, transfers, career education, and whether students earn a living wage in the region.

Following these guidelines, I think CCSF should focus on making its current programs in health, behavioral health, and skilled trades, to name a few, even stronger. These programs could offer short-term certificates that lead to degrees, more evening and hybrid classes for working adults, credit for what students already know, and closer ties with employers, unions, city agencies, and four-year colleges.

As Trustee, I would back a steady, data-based review of programs to see which ones should grow, combine, or dissolve. City College must make sure every program gives students real value, whether that’s a path to a good job, career growth, a degree or transfer, better English and basic skills, or chances for lifelong learning and community involvement.

How should the Board evaluate and hold the Chancellor accountable? Please name one or two measurable performance expectations you would prioritize.

As a Trustee, I would follow Board Policy 1.24, which says the Board must evaluate the Chancellor each year using a clear and consistent process. The Chancellor and Board would set annual goals together. By May, the Chancellor would submit a written self-evaluation. The Board would also gather confidential feedback from the student trustee, employee groups, governance leaders, and the Chancellor’s direct reports. After that, the Board would meet with the Chancellor in a closed session, complete a written evaluation, and set the Chancellor’s goals for the next year. If expectations are not met, this would be noted in the evaluation and addressed in the following year’s goals or, if needed, through action on the Chancellor’s contract.

I would focus on two measurable performance expectations that are already part of CCSF’s Board goals. The first is fiscal sustainability. The Chancellor should meet the Board’s budget and reserve targets. This would be measured by having a balanced budget with projections, checking the percentage and liquidity of reserves, and comparing actual spending to the budget. The second priority is student success. The Chancellor should meet the Board’s targets for student persistence and work to increase the number of students earning degrees, certificates, or transferring to four-year schools. Results would be reviewed to see if opportunity gaps are closing.

Imagine that State funding for CCSF declines unexpectedly, and CCSF faces a significant mid-year budget gap. You must choose between: reducing course offerings, drawing down reserves, delaying new hiring or compensation increases, cutting or consolidating low-enrollment programs, and more. How would you approach this decision? What data would you require, and what principles would guide your vote?

As a Trustee, I would follow Board Policy 8.01 on Budget Preparation and Fiscal Accountability. I would ask for a clear report comparing actual spending to the budget, cash flow, savings, unfilled positions, and forecasts for the next three to five years. I would also ask for options showing how each choice would impact students, especially the most vulnerable, and the College’s long-term finances.

My main focus would be City College’s mission, student success, and long-term financial health. I would avoid cutting everything equally and first look at nonessential spending and vacant positions that could remain unfilled without harming instruction, student services, safety, or necessary operations. Current pay agreements must be honored, while future raises should be reviewed based on whether the College can afford them. Before cutting courses, I would review enrollment, fill rates, waitlists, FTES, completion needs, and the effects on equity and neighborhood access.

I would not use reserves for an ongoing deficit. If the reduction is temporary and unexpected, I could support limited reserve use as an emergency, as long as CCSF remained above the level required by Board policy and adopted a plan to restore the funds with a set timeframe.

Any program consolidation or discontinuance must follow Board Policy and Administrative Procedure 6.17. The process must consider student outcomes, workforce and community needs, attempts to revitalize the program, and a plan for affected students to complete their education or transfer.

Personal

Tell us a bit about yourself!

What is your professional background?

Professionally, I'm a college campus planner with experience working with more than a dozen colleges and universities across the country. I've worked directly on seven campus master plans, ranging from small satellite campuses to universities covering more than 1,000 acres.

In California, I was the campus planner for Folsom Lake College's 2025 Facilities Master Plan update. I also supported the planning and state funding proposal for a Pasadena City College workforce-training facility with 12 instructional labs. I worked on state funding proposals for an academic replacement building at Long Beach City College. My work includes analyzing enrollment trends and academic programs, assessing facilities, meeting with students, faculty, staff, and community members, and developing implementable plans that colleges adopt.

I earned a bachelor's degree in Urban Studies and Planning and Geography from San Francisco State University and a Master of Landscape Architecture from Cornell University, where I currently serve on the department’s advisory council. I was also selected for the 2025–2026 Society of College and University Planning (SCUP) Emerging Leaders cohort.

Are you currently or formerly enrolled at City College, and/or do you have any children who are currently or formerly enrolled at City College?

No.

How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?

I first moved to San Francisco in 2012, when I was 18. Growing up openly gay in a conservative town (Bakersfield), San Francisco was a beacon for me and offered the community and sense of belonging I was looking for. It is also where I began my path in higher education at San Francisco State University and became the first in my family to graduate from college. Although graduate school took me elsewhere for several years, San Francisco continued to feel like home, and I returned in 2021. The people, diversity, and values that first brought me here are what keep me here today. This is where I want to build my future and put down permanent roots.

What do you love most about San Francisco?

Its parks and open spaces.

What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?

The high cost of living.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)

My community involvement focuses on neighborhood advocacy, LGBTQ representation, public space, civic participation, and higher education. I currently serve in the following roles:

• District 3 Director and Board Member, Eastern Neighborhoods Democratic Club
• Board Member, Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club
• Board Member, Lower Nob Hill Neighborhood Alliance
• District 3 Appointee, San Francisco Park, Recreation and Open Space Advisory Committee
• Member, Cornell University Landscape Architecture Advisory Council
• 2025–2026 Emerging Leaders Cohort, Society for College and University Planning

Why do you want to run for public office?

Higher education changed the direction of my life, and I want City College to provide that same opportunity for generations of San Franciscans. As a first-generation college graduate, I understand what access to education can make possible. As a campus planner, I know that a strong vision must be supported by careful planning and clear priorities.

I’m running because City College faces major decisions about its finances, enrollment, facilities, and long-term future. My experience helping colleges plan for the future would bring an important perspective to the Board at this critical time. I believe that with a vision and a plan, City College can be the best in the nation, and I want to help make that vision a reality.

Thank you

Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!