College district may pursue $344-million bond

Deirdre Newman

COSTA MESA -- The Coast Community College District may ask voters for

about $344 million in November.

Such an amount of money is needed to improve facilities over the next

20 years, said Erin Cohn, public affairs director for the district.

Over four days in early March, the district surveyed about 700 likely

voters about their feelings toward a $344-million bond, Cohn said.

On Wednesday, district trustees will receive the survey results and

decide whether to pursue the bond.

If placed on the November ballot, the bond will more than likely

compete for attention with a massive statewide bond of $13 billion for

facility improvements for campuses from the elementary to community

college level. The governor has expressed interest in the bond but has

not signed it yet, Cohn said.

“We don’t know how that would play, politically speaking,” Cohn said.

“We don’t know if that would help or hurt us. It’s a crapshoot right

now.”

While the district would receive about $1 million of the statewide

bond, it would not be enough for the comprehensive undertaking it is

contemplating.

Lately, county voters have been generous in approving bonds -- all

seven of the school-related bonds on the March ballot passed for a total

of $718.34 million. In June 2000, the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District passed a $110-million school facilities improvement bond.

Bonds have a higher chance of passing since the approval threshold was

dropped to 55% of voters, said Reed Royalty, president of the Orange

County Taxpayers Assn.

Some of the Coast Community College District’s survey questions

included what voters felt were the biggest problems facing the community

colleges in their area; if they thought local community colleges had a

need for funding and, if so, how great they perceived that funding to be.

It also asked respondents that if an election were held today, would they

support a $344-million bond measure for the district for facilities

improvements?The upgrades would be based on the facilities master plan

for the three colleges in the district and would include buildings at

Orange Coast College that are more than 50 years old.

To get the bond on the November ballot, the trustees must make a final

decision by August, Cohn said.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .

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