District asking for $720 million facilities bond

Campus buildings and district-wide renovations are estimated $1.33 billion over the next 10 years. Photo illustration by Cheryl Bridges / *el Don*

A spotlight ignited a curtain in Phillips Hall on October 14. There was no automatic fire alarm. An administrator smelled smoke and alerted the authorities.

Phillips Hall highlights the urgent need for automatic fire alarm systems in Santa Ana College’s older buildings. Multiple aging facilities need additional critical repairs. Broken mobility doors, outdated air conditioning systems, and persistent plumbing issues fail to meet essential student needs.

The Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) will propose a $720 million bond to fund building upgrades in the November election. On the ballot, Measure G outlines construction needs over the next ten years, voter impact basics, and the district’s focus on developing job fields.

Multiple construction projects are anticipated to begin before 2027 if the bond passes.

A priority project is the construction of the new Centennial Education Center. The plan is to replace the portable units from the ’80s with a community center, child development center, and more adult education classrooms.

James Kennedy, vice president of continuing education, explained that there has been an increase in adult students seeking education and training classes, even since before COVID closures.

“The CEC serves 2,000 people weekly. There are hundreds of people on our waitlist, looking to take classes in person,” Kennedy said.

At Santa Ana College’s main campus, the first project planned is the Applied Technology Center providing a permanent home for trade-skills programs. The AT Center will include classrooms and labs for welding, diesel technology, and manufacturing engineering.

The new Arts and Workforce building will have a theater with 300-400 seats, an interior courtyard, and classrooms for arts programs. The new performing arts facility will replace the Music and Fine Arts buildings from the 1970s and Phillips Hall, built in 1955.

A culinary arts and hospitality complex is set to be built at Bristol and 17th streets, including a public-facing space for a cafe run by culinary arts students.

The district estimated that these campus buildings and other much needed renovations will cost as much as $1.33 billion over the next 10 years. The last construction bond was authorized in 2012.

If enacted, the 2024 measure would allow the district to raise a total of $720 million from the sale of bonds to fund facilities construction. The district can only spend bond funds on program projects listed on the ballot that are certified to help local students with affordable college.

The measure would add about $10 per month on average to property taxes in the district. A tax rate statement on the ballot outlines the district’s calculated estimates in specific detail.

This is not the first time the district has proposed a bond for construction projects.

In 2020, the district measure did not reach the 55% of votes needed for a $500 million bond. In 2022, the district planned to send a ballot measure to a portion of the community to get a bond approved but missed the deadline.

RSCCD Chancellor Marvin Martin confirmed that the district felt confident to send the ballot to the whole district during the presidential election year.

The district is hopeful about the passage of Measure G. Polls show that 64% of the community members are in favor of the bond. Community colleges across the country are seeing enrollment increases in adult education, workforce training, and emerging technologies.

Chancellor Martin explained that the bond money is crucial for providing the necessary buildings and equipment for training students and workers in new and developing job fields.

“The colleges tell us what facilities they need [so] we activate voter awareness about our programs,” Martin said, “we expect to see larger voter turnout during a presidential election year.”