Special to the Town Crier
With the Nov. 2 election three weeks away, Leo Chavez, chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, and Bernadine Fong, president of Foothill College, joined forces to convince residents to vote for Measure E.
Speaking at the Los Altos Rotary Club Oct. 7, Chavez said every effort has been made to maintain facilities on a regular basis. Both campuses have significant repair and renovation needs due to aging and inadequate state funding for capital improvements and maintenance.
"Foothill and De Anza Colleges fill an important niche in Silicon Valley by providing top quality and affordable education to the tech community," Chavez said.
When Foothill College opened in 1957 and De Anza College in 1967, the facilities were designed for 13,000 students. Today, enrollment is approximately 40,000, and this year Foothill College had a 7 percent increase in enrollment.
The District is asking residents to approve Measure E on Nov. 2.
Approval will enable the district to issue $248 million in bonds over the next 10 years. The funds will be used for repair and renovation of existing facilities and to construct new classroom buildings.
Chavez told the Rotarians the sale of the first series of bonds, based on the estimated assessed valuation at the time of filing, would be 1.40 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for the year 2000-01. The typical addition to the homeowner's tax bill would be $14 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.
If the bond measure is successful, Foothill College can proceed with the construction of the long-awaited science complex, expand the campus center to provide better student services, complete the renovation of the old Space Science Center to house the Center of Innovation and Teaching Academy, and add a district-wide technology support facility.
The money would also provide maintenance for aging roofs, upgrade science labs, restrooms and plumbing, build needed high-tech computer labs and new classrooms and replace aging heating and air conditioning systems.
"More than 1 million residents have attended classes in the district in the 40-plus years since the district was formed," Chavez said. "To accomplish this, we receive $3,400 for each student from the state when the national average for community college students is $6,000 per student."
Foothill College leads the state in community colleges transferring students to higher education facilities. Fong said 84 percent of Foothill students are prepared to transfer for their last two years of college in private and state institutions.
Fong said Foothill and De Anza colleges are regarded as California's best community colleges.
A third of the students attending are college graduates and a third are full-time students who transfer to other colleges and the other third are students looking to enhance their career or change careers.