On Nov. 8, registered voters of San Mateo County will be voting on a new measure which if passed, will give the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCD) $468 million in funds.
Known as Measure A, this bond will provide funds to Skyline, San Mateo and Cañada campuses for, among other things, seismic retrofitting and structural upgrades, installation or upgrading of fire sprinkler and alarm systems, handicapped access and technology upgrades for departments, repair or replacement plumbing and electrical equipment, repair and replacement of roofing, updating campus libraries and removing hazardous materials from campus’s, such as asbestos.
Proponents of the bond say that it is much needed to give the SMCCD schools the retrofitting and remodeling they need.
“If you walk around the college, what you’ll find is many parts of the college are decrepit” said Dr. Victoria Morrow, president of Skyline College.
According to Morrow most of the bond money will be going to things that are happening behind the scenes at Skyline, such as fixing electrical wiring, retrofitting the buildings for earthquake safety and making buildings more accessible to the handicapped. SMCCD plans to expand programs and improve the technology used in the classrooms.
“My hope is that [the bond] will allow us to do some program expansion because we’ll have additional space.” Morrow said about how remodeling the school would benefit Skyline.
Supporters of the bond also believe that it will help turn the colleges into better centers for the community around them.
“Part of our mission and vision says that we want Skyline to be a cultural center for the community.” Morrow said. According to Morrow, the passing of the bond can help ensure that Skyline stays true to its mission statement. If the bond doesn’t pass, Morrow said that she expects they will try again.
“[The upgrades] are so badly needed, we are bulging at the seams in terms of need for class room space, the earthquake stuff worries me, the wiring and plumbing stuff worries me, all of that will continue to be a problem for us.
The people who are opposed to the bond measure say it will cost more than it is worth to the tax payers in the long run. Also, the current debt per student is $10,000, if the bond measure passed it would increase that debt to $33,000.
“Putting a billion dollars into the college district to support a student body of 20,000 fulltime students is outrageous,” said Jack Hickey, chair of the Libertarian party for San Mateo County. Hickey points out that enrollment in SMCCD has dropped 25% since 1981, yet the schools are still saying that they need more class room space.
According to Doug Henry, construction manager at Skyline College, “Even if the bond measure doesn’t pass all, of the current projects will continue, regardless of Measure A, to include ADA accessibility improvements in several locations about campus.”
Hickey says that the SMCCD has a total of 68 million dollars left. According to Henry the money Skyline has left has been committed to projects for the campus. Only 0.7% of Skyline’s budget is left over for contingency, if things cost more than expected.
However, Morrow encourages San Mateo County voters to help the district.
“I think it’s a great vote for our residents in San Mateo County, I think it will be a great benefit to them if the bond passes.”
