CLARION c i t r u s
c o l l e g e
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2016 | VOL XCI ISSUE 8 tccclarion.com f/ccclarion T@ccclarion
KEEPING
IT
THE UPCOMING COMMENCEMENT WILL MARK THE 100TH GRADUATING CLASS OF CITRUS COLLEGE, SOLIDIFYING A CENTURY OF STUDENT COMPLETION.
CLASS OF 1917
4 1425
PG. 10
students
CLASS OF 2016
MEASURE G DOLLARS SUPPORT CAMPUS MAKEOVER BY MEGAN BENDER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MBENDER@CCCLARION.COM
The $121 million facilities construction bond measure that allowed Citrus College some face lifts and an overhaul is almost all used up. Measure G, a general obligation bond presented by the Citrus College District to the community March 2004, is a result of Proposition 39: the Smaller Classes, Safer Schools and Financial Accountability Act. The district community voted to raise taxes to allow for new facility construction and renovations. Twelve years later, the bond funding these new facilities and renovations only has a few projects left before being complete.
Measure G was the main source of funding for a new Visual Arts building, the Center for Innovation, the Central Plant, the Field House and Concession Buildings, the Vocational Technology Buildings and the Student Services building. Vice President of Financial and Administrative Services Claudette Dain said in an email the Visual Arts building is nearing its completion and is scheduled to be open by August 2016. She said the remaining projects to be funded with Measure G consist of the Hayden Hall, Campus Center and Educational Development Center modernization projects. The Measure G Citizen Oversight Committee page on the
Citrus website said this measure was presented to prepare local students for transfer to four-year colleges, to train local residents for high-skilled jobs and to provide life-long learning opportunities for all by implementing a comprehensive facilities master plan. The oversight committee is made up of citizens representative of the community to monitor the use of the Measure G bond funds. Two years after the approval of Measure G in 2004, Citrus faculty, staff, students, independent facilities professionals and community residents created a comprehensive Educational and Facilities Master Plan to ensure these goals were being met with the work to be implemented over eight to 10 years. Facilities and Construction Supervisor Fred Diamond said this bond program has been “really good” because Citrus has not run out before projects have been completed.
students
Courtesy of Citrus College Facilities Dept.
Aerial view of the empty lot where the Visual Arts Building foundation cement was being poured. The new building was fully funded from the $121 million facilites bonds from Measure G.
“Usually one of the things that typically happens with a general education bond,” he said, “they run out of money.” He said this is especially prevalent in K-12 schools with multiple schools in a district.
As reported in the most recent COC financial report from March 24, the original projected budget for Measure G was calculated at $129,430,331, which includes S E E M EAS UR E G • PAGE 3