Threats to cut off community college funding amid a stalled state budget have not yet ruffled El Camino or Los Angeles Harbor colleges, where summer classes got under way this week and registration lines were packed with incoming students.

The two schools say they have enough cash on hand to last through August, even if state Controller Steve Westly makes good on his pledge to withhold money from community colleges until a budget is in place. The deadline to pass a budget was Monday.

Still, the situation beyond August is murky.

“It’s very difficult without a budget being approved to know what we can and cannot do,” said Linda Spink, president of Harbor College in Wilmington.

Until the state Legislature passes a budget, Westly has threatened to halt payments that are not legally mandated, including money for some K-12 school programs, salaries for elected officials and community colleges. If that happens, community colleges would lose $400 million in July and August.

“If these payments aren’t made in a timely manner, many of our colleges will be totally out of options,” said Thomas J. Nussbaum, chancellor of the California community college system, in a prepared statement. “We’re talking about massive shutdowns in access and services that will begin to occur as early as August, and that could affect virtually all of our colleges within a matter of months.”

The lack of a state budget exacerbates an already bleak financial situation for two-year colleges. The governor has proposed cutting $285 million from community colleges, about 5 percent of their budget.

At Harbor College, that translates to just 58 class sections this summer compared with 250 last year. The school has slashed its fall semester schedule by 25 percent.

Meanwhile, the college is working on two fiscal scenarios — one in which its $21 million budget is cut by $500,000 and the other if it is cut by $1.5 million. The first scenario represents the compromise budget wending its way through the Legislature. The second is the governor’s proposal.

Under the governor’s proposal, Harbor College would need to cut 7 percent of its budget — impossible without layoffs, Spink said.

“We are now as bare bones as we can be. We couldn’t function like this for two or three years,” she said.

Even one year with such limited funding puts education in jeopardy, she pointed out. For the upcoming year, the physical sciences department has a budget of $6,000 — not nearly enough to buy the supplies needed, Spink said.

Despite cutbacks, El Camino College near Torrance has not seen any decrease in demand.

Long lines snaked out of the registration office as students enrolled in summer school classes, and even more are expected to sign up for fall semester beginning Monday.

The college is counting on a state budget to pass before the new semester begins. If not, it may need to borrow from other accounts or emergency reserves, said Ann Garten, a spokeswoman for El Camino.

“Obviously, if this were to continue, we’d have to look at what do we have for September,” she said.