MSJC May Ask Voters To Approve Bond/Press Enterprise
June 30th, 2014FYI
http://www.pe.com/articles/district-696889-schultz-bond.html?page=1
“Voters living within the MSJC boundaries may be asked to pay for improvements at facilities across the sprawling district. A projected $300 million general obligation bond would cost property owners $14.50 per $100,000 of assessed value. There also is money available in matching funds for some of the projects, meaning $300 million could become more than $500 million with state money.” Roger Schultz
“The need is especially high for classes in science, technology, engineering and math, and the bond would allow the college to add lab space.”
Blog:
The facilities master plan provides for projects to modernize/upgrade the existing 50 year old San Jacinto Campus; build out and complete the existing Menifee Campus to accommodate increased full time equivalent students; and build a third campus in the Wildomar area of the district dedicated to the STEM technology disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics along with maintenance of the two outreach facilities in Banning and Temecula.
Currently, the formula at the state level for competing for state capital construction dollars is now requiring districts to use some amount of local revenues for approval of new state funded projects. A bond would allow for that local contribution making project approval easier.
MSJC has one of the lowest college going rates (participation rate of students per 1,000 adult population) in the state. It is imperative for the economic health of our district to provide more access to college opportunity and for employers to benefit in having access to a higher educated local workforce.
The community college is the lowest cost higher education system in the state. With new facilities, the goal of the master plan build out is to double existing full time students which will contribute to the overall productivity of our district to provide a more educated workforce.