We approach any proposal to raise taxes very cautiously. Like
many, we were at first concerned when Gavilan Community College
officials began to float the idea of a bond.
We approach any proposal to raise taxes very cautiously. Like many, we were at first concerned when Gavilan Community College officials began to float the idea of a bond.
College trustees have decided, after much review, to ask the public to support a $108-million bond, and we encourage residents of south Santa Clara and San Benito counties to vote yes on the bond measure next March. Here’s why:
Gavilan College is located in a region that has experienced tremendous growth over the last few decades. At the same time, technology has changed rapidly. Gavilan has done its best to keep up, but aging buildings that don’t serve the region’s burgeoning student population, out-of-date technology and insufficient state funding limit the college’s ability to serve its students.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of a strong community college to the overall quality of life in South Valley. The college provides a cost-effective way for students to get the first two years of a college education under their belts before transferring to a four-year university. The smaller size of a community college is ideal for many students who might find a large university overwhelming or need more intensive help to be ready to succeed in a four-year college.
The school provides our community with job and vocational training, small business advice, community education classes, arts programs, summer day camps for kids and much, much more. Soon, through a partnership with San Jose State University, it will provide upper-level college courses.
These are the major expenditures planned for the $108-million bond:
• Remodel 30-year-old classrooms (lighting, technology, heating and air conditioning) – $31 million
• Upgrade library and student services center, replace obsolete computer system – $17 million
• Improve safety of facilities, disabled access; add parking – $8 million
• Expand Gilroy campus to include University Center – $18 million
• Provide permanent San Benito County facility – $12 million
• Acquire land for permanent Morgan Hill facility – $8 million
To pass, the bond will require approval from 55 percent of voters.
The bond will add $15 per $100,000 of assessed value to South Valley homeowners’ property tax bills. Although no one likes higher taxes, it’s clear that this investment in our local community college will be money well spent.
Let’s invest in our children, in our community and in our future by ensuring South Valley has a strong community college poised for growth and the challenges the next several decades will bring.
Vote yes on the Gavilan College bond.
