Yes on 56: Campus Bonds

California’s public colleges and universities are pioneering institutions. As often happens with pioneers, time has taken its toll on facilities ranging from laboratories to storm drains and growing enrollment has left many campuses short of space for new students. Proposition 56 on the Nov. 4 ballot would provide $400 million in bond funds to bring facilities on those campuses up to standard. We urge a yes vote on Proposition 56.

The money is needed primarily to make up for a loss of tidelands oil revenues, much of which is dedicated by law to higher education. As oil prices have dropped, so have the royalties that oil companies pay for producing oil from reserves on land owned by the state. This year, royalties have has slumped so sharply that income amounts to only 25% of what the colleges and universities ordinarily can count on at budget time.

The shortage is felt everywhere: on the nine University of California campuses that enroll close to 138,000 students; at the 19 State University campuses where nearly 320,000 students are enrolled, and on the 106 community college campuses with their 1.2 million students.

Money from Proposition 56 would be spread over two years to renovate obsolete science and computer laboratories, build classrooms, expand libraries, buy new equipment, and make health, safety and other improvements. During the first year, the UC system’s share would be $86.4 million, the state universities would receive $78 million, and the California Community Colleges would collect $68 million for projects that are already approved by the governor and the Legislature.

Close to $40 million has been budgeted for projects in Los Angles County that include a new law school building and new research laboratories at UCLA; a major arts complex and a remodeled fine arts building at Cal State LA; a new science wing and expanded library at Cal State Northridge; additions to the library and music building at Cal Poly Pomona; a new storm drainage system at Cal State Dominguez Hills; a safer chemistry building at Los Angeles City College, and new classrooms and faculty offices at Glendale Community College.

San Diego County would get more than $50 million for projects at UC San Diego, where enrollment has increased 25% in five years, and at Cal State San Diego, MiraCosta Community College and Cuyamaca College. More than $25 million has been designated for Orange County for projects at UC Irvine, particularly at the Medical Center, Cal State Fullerton and Irvine Valley Community College. More than $4 million has been allocated for Riverside County for work at UC Riverside and the Copper Mountain Campus of College of the Desert.

Maintaining the tools of learning at California’s public campuses is as important an investment in the state’s future as was building them in the years that California pioneered in public higher education. We recommend a yes vote on Proposition 56.