The Shasta College Board of Trustees has approved a $129 million Education and Workforce Opportunity general obligation bond measure. Measure C, to be placed on the November ballot in the three main counties served by the college — Shasta, Tehama and Trinity as well as small portions of Lassen, Humboldt and Modoc — will expand and remodel college facilities through a series of capital projects and upgrades. Most of the work will be done by local contractors and will enable the college to apply for matching funds from the state.
Bond Measure C will modernize 60-year-old buildings and facilities while expanding the college’s ability to support public safety services for the region. Projects include building a new agriculture classroom, enhancing hands-on career training by expanding automotive/diesel and welding programs, establishing a new extension site in Corning, and supporting local businesses by strengthening workforce training for in-demand jobs in our community. All new construction and remodels will aim to satisfy stringent energy efficiency targets to reduce the impact on electrical and water resources at the college’s campuses.
Bond Measure C will NOT increase property owner tax rates. Property owners in the Shasta College district will pay for Measure C by replacing the payments from the old 2002 Measure A bond that is set to expire with new payments for this bond. By extending the term of the old bond, the tax rate paid by taxpayers for Shasta College bonds will not increase. The average cost will be $7.76 annually per $100,000 of assessed (not market) value of properties. This is about $2.45 per month for the average house in the district. The cost for a home assessed at a $500,000 value would be about $3.25 per month.
A Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee will serve as an accountability monitor to ensure the bond proceeds are spent appropriately. Bond funds may not be used to pay salaries, pensions, or other operating expenses. Annual performance and financial audits are required, and all money will stay local and cannot be taken by the State of California.
Shasta College Superintendent/President Dr. Frank Nigro emphasizes that Shasta College has been a good steward of public funds. “With previous bonds, the college has done a great job demonstrating sound and prudent fiscal management by not only spending in the appropriate manner, but by initiating bond refinancings that have saved taxpayers over $4.25 million. The funds approved by local voters have also allowed Shasta College to pull in almost $40 million in additional funds from the state that otherwise, we would not be able to qualify for.”
Said Dr. Nigro, “Bond measures are the only way for community colleges to tackle major capital projects. Most of the college’s buildings are pushing 60 years old. Though previous bond measures have allowed us to do a lot of good work, it’s time to finish the project. We want to prepare Shasta College for the next 60 years with buildings that are fully accessible, aligned with modern instructional approaches, and energy efficient so as to save taxpayers money in the long run. Ultimately, this bond measure will position Shasta College to continue preparing our students for good-paying, critically needed jobs.”
Dr. Nigro notes that over 500,000 students have come through Shasta College in its 76-year history. These students have gone on to be auto mechanics, firefighters, nurses, or to pursue advanced 4-year degrees so they could come back to us as teachers, doctors, city managers, and more. Previous bond measures have allowed the college to build state-of-the-art healthcare, public safety, and industrial technology facilities. While some new classrooms will be built with the new bond, efforts will focus mainly on bringing the rest of the college’s buildings into the 21st century.
Said Dr. Nigro, “We have served our students and the community for the past 76 years. This bond measure is crucial to our fulfilling the mission of improving the quality of our communities today and in the future.”
For further information, please contact Theresa Markword, Associate Vice President of Facilities & Capital Construction, at 530-242-7699.
