2024 General Obligation Bond

/ 2024-gobond

Local Funding for School Improvements

The State does not provide dedicated funding for school facility improvements, so repairs and upgrades must be funded locally. The College of the Redwoods Board of Trustees is placing a school facilities improvement bond measure on the November 5, 2024, ballot for local voters to consider.

How does the College of the Redwoods serve local students and veterans?

The College of the Redwoods serves thousands of community members from varied backgrounds including low-income residents, senior citizens and veterans. As the cost of attending the University of California and State University systems continues to rise, many students are choosing to continue their education at community colleges. College of the Redwoods ensures that lower and middle-income students in the area who can’t afford the high price of a university still have an opportunity to succeed in college and careers. Specific to veterans, many of these heroes face challenges including posttraumatic stress disorder and permanent disability. Measure I could improve the facilities needed to upgrade and expand veteran services and job training so returning service members receive the support they need to complete their education and enter the civilian workforce.

Specifically, how would the funds from Measure I be spent to improve the College of the Redwoods?

If approved by voters, Measure I funding would be used to address the most urgent facility improvements needed at the College of the Redwoods. Below is the list of the top facility needs based on input from opinion research and meetings with stakeholders:

Replace leaking roofs
Upgrade educational/training facilities for nursing/public health fields
Retain/attract high quality faculty by improvingclassroom/lab facilities
Improve vocational classrooms/lab/tech training,prepare students for jobs
Rebuild old/inadequate student housing andproviding housing affordable for students
Repair aging plumbing system to prevent flooding/water damage
Repair aging gas, electrical, sewer lines and internet/electrical wiring
Modernize/upgrade outdated classrooms/labs for STEM fields
Improve accessibility for students with disabilities
Remove unsafe buildings
Provide facilities for veterans services/job training
Improve campus security and earthquake safety
Upgrade classroom technology
Repair deteriorating heating/cooling systems
Upgrade community stadium

Strict Fiscal Accountability and Local Control

Any potential school bond measures would include strict fiscal accountability protections to ensure responsible management of funds, including:

A detailed project list indicating projects that could be funded by the measure
A Citizens' Oversight Committee and independent audits to ensure funds are spent as promised
Required public disclosure of all spending

Who will make the final decision about which projects will be included in Measure I? How specific is Measure I as to how the money can be spent and would the College be limited to only specific projects?

By law, the College of the Redwoods is required to provide a list of projects that would be funded by Measure I in the Board adopted resolution and no funds can be used for anything outside of the project list.

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The College of the Redwoods provides essential job training and workforce preparation for students of all ages, veterans, and residents. Measure I will upgrade classrooms, labs, facilities, and technology, and expand access to hands-on training programs that help students learn new skills and find better paying jobs, especially in healthcare.

We are all facing an unprecedented housing crisis, something felt more by community college students often trying to balance work and education. Measure I will allow the College of the Redwoods to leverage state funding to build on-campus housing that is affordable for students.

College of the Redwoods' current student housing was built in 1969, which makes it 55 years old, and in dire need of renovation and rebuilding after housing thousands of college students over the years. Many of the students who have lived in our affordable student housing facility grew up in our local community and others have come in from other areas but stayed here following their coursework to serve Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity Counties as first responders, nurses and other vital roles. Renovated student housing will serve the College and our community for decades to come.

If Measure I is approved by 55% of district voters, the cost to property owners would be $25 annually per $100,000 of assessed valuation of their property on the property tax bill. It's important to remember that assessed valuation is frequently less than the "sale value" of a property, particularly for residents who purchased their property prior to passage of Proposition 13 in 1978. For example, a property with an assessed valuation of $150,000 would be $37.50 a year; assessed valuation of $250,000 would be $62.50 a year; assessed valuation of $450,000 would be $112.50 a year.

By law, community colleges are limited to a bond amount of $25 per $100,000 assessed valuation on their property and the college's professional financial advisors/analysts have determined that this rate will generate $120 million to fund needed facility improvements. The College community completed a Facilities Master Plan in 2023 that identified a list of potential projects that would cost more than $120 million to complete. The decision as to which projects from the master plan will be completed with bond funds will be made by the Board of Trustees following community input.

By law, all money raised will support our students here at College of the Redwoods. Measure I includes strict fiscal accountability provisions, including:

All funds would be controlled locally for the College of the Redwoods only and could not be taken away by the State of California.
A citizens' oversight committee and mandatory independent annual financial and performance audits would ensure all funds are used effectively, efficiently, and as promised with no funds going toward administrative salaries or pensions.

Measure I will appear on the November 5, 2024 ballot.

Our district wouldn't have voted to place Measure I on the ballot if the funds were available to make the identified project improvements. If Measure I is not passed, the College of the Redwoods would not be able to complete many of the projects that have been identified.

We Want To Hear From You!

As College of the Redwoods explores options to update local school facilities, we value your input. To share your feedback or for more information please fill out this form.