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Contra Costa Community College District Facility Needs & Priorities Information About Measure E 1 Agenda Item No. 4(A) ---PAGE BREAK--- Contra Costa Community College District Celebrating 65 years of serving the community. One of the 10 largest of the 72 community college districts in California, serving over 55,000 students annually. Includes Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, Los Medanos College, San Ramon Campus and Brentwood Center. 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- Role of Our Colleges Our community colleges are an essential safety net – providing education for local students, many who cannot afford four-year colleges and universities. Additional resources are needed to help make sure our students can continue and successfully complete their educational goals. 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- Job Training Our community college students move on to become part of the local workforce. We need to provide advanced medical career training facilities at our colleges in order to help students prepare for some of the fastest growing careers in the country. We need to keep pace with trends that assist us to maintain high quality career training programs in sciences, technology, and public safety. 4 ---PAGE BREAK--- College Transfer The cost of attending public universities in California has risen to as much as six times that of attending a community college. More and more students are relying on local community colleges to earn college credits, certifications, and job skills at a reasonable price ($46 per unit). Support is needed to improve facilities to ensure that students are prepared to transfer to 4-year universities. 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Support 2002 Measure A Bond-$120 million Maximum tax rate of $4.72/$100,000 assessed value 2006 Measure A+ Bond-$286.5 million Maximum tax rate of $9.00/$100,000 assessed value Contra Costa Community College District has twice issued “refunding bonds” or refinanced bonds saving taxpayers $14.5 million over the life of the bonds 6 ---PAGE BREAK--- 2002 and 2006 Accomplishments Transforming our campuses: Contra Costa College - Library remodel, new Student Student Services Center, new College Center Diablo Valley College - new Bookstore, new Student Services Center, new Culinary/Cafeteria and campus quad, San Ramon Campus Los Medanos College - new Science building, new Mathematics building, remodel the Core Center building 7 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ongoing Challenge: Deteriorating Facilities Many of the most important core academic classes in our colleges are currently being held in deteriorating facilities with outdated equipment. Additional funds are needed to repair and upgrade classrooms and update learning technology which currently are housed in the original buildings that were built over 50 years ago when the campuses first opened. . 8 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ongoing Effect of State Budget Crisis & Funding Cuts Our community colleges continue to be impacted by the effect of historic state funding cuts – state funding for repairs has been reduced significantly. Proposition 30 provides important funding for educational programs, but not for necessary repairs and upgrades. 9 ---PAGE BREAK--- Measure E On February 26, 2014, the Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board unanimously approved placing a bond measure, now called Measure E, on the June 3, 2014, ballot. Measure E is a local education bond measure requiring over 55 percent voter support. A recently commissioned independent survey shows as much as 70% of respondents would potentially support a local bond measure in June 2014. 10 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ballot Language To upgrade educational facilities at Diablo Valley, Contra Costa, and Los Medanos Colleges, and the San Ramon and Brentwood centers, and help prepare students for jobs and college transfer by modernizing classrooms and labs, building facilities for health, medical, science and technology training, and implementing earthquake safety, accessibility, and infrastructure improvements, shall the Contra Costa Community College District issue $450 million of bonds at legal interest rates with independent oversight, audits, and all funds spent on local District sites? 11 ---PAGE BREAK--- How would additional funds help? Make buildings, classrooms, and grounds more accessible to people with disabilities; Improve academic facilities to help students prepare for 21st century jobs and transfer to 4-year universities; Provide facilities and resources for science, technology, and medical career/health services training programs, including nursing, dental technology, and health administration; and Install and maintain technology for modern hands-on career training. 12 ---PAGE BREAK--- How can we be sure that funds will be spent as promised? All of the funds are required by law to be spent here in Contra Costa County to improve facilities at each site including Diablo Valley College, Contra Costa College, Los Medanos College, San Ramon Campus, and Brentwood Center. If approved by the voters, the funding measure will include strict accountability requirements including a public expenditure plan, independent annual audits, and an Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee to ensure funds are spent as promised and managed in an efficient, fiscally prudent manner on priority repair and improvement projects. 13 ---PAGE BREAK--- How can we be sure that funds will be spent as promised? (Cont.) Fiscal accountability requirements would include the following provisions. By law, all bond expenditures must be monitored by an Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee to ensure that funds are spent only on voter authorized projects. By law, the Citizens’ Oversight Committee must include, among others, representation of a bona fide Taxpayers’ Association, a Business Organization, and a Senior Citizens’ Organization. By law, no funds can go toward administrator salaries or pensions. 14 ---PAGE BREAK--- Contra Costa College Major Projects: Construction of a new science and allied health center, or modernization of current spaces housing the science and allied health education programs. Modernization or construction of a campus operations building. Modernization of the gym annex, gymnasium, locker rooms and other physical education facilities. 15 ---PAGE BREAK--- Diablo Valley College and San Ramon Campus Construct a new science and learning center complex. Modernize the engineering technology building. Modernize or construct a new art building. Modernize the physical education complex. Expand the San Ramon Campus, including, but not limited to: expanded parking; expanded space for library services; and improvements to classrooms and labs for transfer and career technical programs. 16 ---PAGE BREAK--- Los Medanos College and Brentwood Center Construct a new student activities building. Construct new Brentwood Center. Modernize the college complex building. Modernize the physical education, gym, and aquatics facilities. 17 New Brentwood Center Site Highway 4 and Marsh Creek Road ---PAGE BREAK--- How can I get more information? The District is available to provide more details and make presentations about Measure E on the June 3, 2014, ballot. For more information, visit www.4cd.edu. If you have any specific questions feel free to contact Tim Leong by phone at (925)-229-6823 or email [EMAIL REDACTED]. 18 ---PAGE BREAK--- Questions? 19