West Valley-Mission bond measure raises questions

On April 3, the West ValleyMission Community College Board voted to put Measure W, a $700 million bond, on the November ballot. That is beyond outrageous. West Valley-Mission passed a $258 million bond issue in 2004 and then passed a $350 million bond issue in 2012. Half of those 2012 funds have not yet been spent.

Their explanation, in part, for asking for $700 million more when residents will be paying for the prior two bonds for the next 30 or 40 years: “Our buildings have leaking roofs.” But that was the justification for the bond in

2004 and the bond in 2012. What are they using for roofs, kitchen sponges?

Perhaps worse, prior bond funds have not been spent as promised. Staff and administration projects, yes; student facilities, no. Example: The 2012 bond included many millions for a new library. Not built. Now the new bond asks for $41 million — for a new library.

In 2004, West Valley-Mission’s poorest students had programs in dilapidated, obsolete portable buildings. The 2004 bond promised to replace them. Two bonds, 14 years and $608 million later, those portables are still there.

West Valley-Mission’s existing classroom facilities are dramatically

underutilized. There are almost no Friday classes, because faculty wanted a four-day work week. There are few evening classes. Student enrollment has declined dramatically: 21 percent in the last five years. The percentage of West Valley-Mission courses that are presented online or through video, but not in traditional classrooms, increases each year. Why expand physical facilities?

At the same April 3 meeting, the West Valley-Mission board also approved $120,000 to send 45 students and some faculty to Europe for various enrichment courses, even paying for students who do not need financial assistance. While UC does not have

enough money to admit many highly qualified high school students, West Valley-Mission is paying students to go to Europe for nonessential courses.

In 2001, California voters approved Proposition 39, reducing the required approval rate for school bonds from two-thirds to 55 percent, making passage of these bonds much easier, but requiring the creation of independent bond oversight committees. Unfortunately, these committees are appointed by the school districts themselves. They have proved totally ineffective at accountability. The cost of most school bonds continues for 30 to 40 years. If an elementary school district, a high school district and

a community college district all pass bonds, and then put additional, subsequent bonds on the ballot, the cost to residents can be several hundred dollars per year for decades. How do residents on limited fixed incomes keep their houses?

When I was on the governing board at West Valley-Mission, no one worked harder to pass West Valley-Mission’s 2004 bond measure. I would not have done that if I had known that future boards were going to try to take advantage of the community in this way.