Community Colleges Pin Hopes on Bond Measure

Edwin A. Young, president of venerable Los Angeles City College, keeps a rusty chunk of broken pipe near his desk, a graphic souvenir of the chilly day last December when the campus’s antiquated central heating system fell apart.

A few miles away, Thomas G. Lakin, Young’s counterpart at the much newer Southwest College, works in an office overlooking the expanse of empty land where the rest of the long-promised “permanent” campus should be. He envisions a health careers building, a gymnasium and a student services complex that would give students their first real bookstore.

Encouraged by a poll that indicates the time is right, and frustrated with the long line for short state construction dollars, officials of the nine-campus, 111,000-student Los Angeles Community College District are asking voters to approve a $200-million facilities bond measure April 9.

District Chancellor Donald G. Phelps acknowledged that even that amount would fall short of giving the world’s largest community college district everything it needs for construction, remodeling and maintenance. But, coupled with promised state funds, the measure would ensure near-completion of the district’s three newer campuses--Mission College in Sylmar, West Los Angeles College and Southwest College in the Athens area--and cover the most badly needed construction and remodeling projects at the district’s older schools.

It also would cover health and safety improvements at all campuses, including fire and earthquake safety measures, improved access for the handicapped and asbestos removal projects.

“We have three campuses that have never been completed . . . while others have buildings that are 60 years old and have never been substantially updated or replaced,” Phelps said.

At Southwest, opened 23 years ago in the aftermath of the 1965 Watts riots, the students, virtually all minorities, attend classes in the campus’ single, crowded permanent building or in “temporary” structures, most of which are inaccessible to those in wheelchairs, Phelps said. The amenities taken for granted at most other colleges are absent. For example, Southwest has no bookstore; students wanting to buy books and other supplies must stand at a counter in a cramped bungalow and place their orders.

“It sends a message that our students are second-class citizens,” Phelps said. “We need to get on with what was promised to this community almost a quarter of a century ago.”

Lakin said lack of facilities that can accommodate nursing and other popular courses forces many students either to commute to other districts or to forgo college altogether.

“Many of our students need programs that, because of our facilities, we simply cannot provide here,” Lakin said.

The district’s older campuses also suffer from inadequate facilities. East Los Angeles College has “temporary” buildings that date from World War II. Repair of broken gas pipes at Harbor College ate into the district’s nearly depleted reserve funds, and district officials are trying to find ways to cover electrical repairs at the football stadium at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. Pierce also needs air conditioning and at least three new buildings, Phelps said.

At City, which, along with Trade Technical College south of downtown, is the district’s oldest campus, students compete for study space in the learning skills center, jammed into the basement of the library. Weight training machines are crammed into a warren-like series of small rooms in the men’s gym. Youngsters attending the child development center are cared for in a bungalow along traffic-laden Melrose Avenue, while their parents attend classes in timeworn rooms.

District officials said they cannot rely on state funds to take care of most of their needs.

State community college officials must divide their funds among 107 colleges. Clarence Mangham, dean of facilities planning and utilization for the California Community Colleges system, estimates it would take about $3.2 billion--$215 million a year through 2005--to meet the demand.

Gov. Pete Wilson, facing a projected budget deficit of up to $13 billion, has proposed giving community colleges $121 million for facilities in the coming fiscal year, to be provided from revenue and general obligation bonds.

Last November, California voters narrowly rejected a $450-million bond measure for colleges and universities. But that measure needed approval from just 50% of voters, while the local district’s Proposition C, like other local spending measures, requires a two-thirds “yes” vote to pass.

Only one community college district in California--Imperial Valley College in Imperial County--has been able to muster that much voter support in the seven years since state law first gave local agencies the authority to seek tax increases, state officials said.

But leaders of Citizens for Community College Improvements, the privately funded group that is pushing for the measure, believe their prospects are good.

They cite the lack of formal opposition to the measure and endorsements across a wide political spectrum, from conservative Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich to liberal Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. Business groups such as the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. also are backing the measure, which the county auditor estimated would cost the average homeowner in the district about $2.35 a year during the 30 years it would take to repay the bonds.

Additionally, district employee groups have strongly supported the drive.

The campaign is likely to be helped by the fact that there are several contested school board and City Council races in minority areas of the district and only one hot race in conservative, predominantly Anglo areas, the group’s strategist said.

Larry Levine, the Sherman Oaks-based consultant who is overseeing the campaign, cited a poll indicating good support for the colleges among black, Asian and Latino voters.

“This is the election that the (expected) turnout is most skewed to those people most likely to vote for community colleges,” Levine said.

Backers of the measure are spending $100,000 to $125,000 on voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, including a big absentee-ballot effort. There will be some slate mail toward the end of the campaign, he added.

While state law forbids the district from using its own funds, employees or time to advocate a particular political position, its employees can work for the measure on their own time or contribute to its coffers, and there is nothing that prohibits the district from providing information to its students or running voter registration programs on campus. That gives the campaign a definite advantage.

“We know we’ll get a yes vote from 90% of those students and employees who go to the polls. . . . It is not necessary to advocate (a position),” Levine said, “We just have to get them to vote.”

COMMUNITY COLLEGES’ PROPOSED PROJECTS If two-thirds of voters approve Proposition C, a $200-million facilities bond measure on the April 9 ballot, each of the nine schools in the Los Angeles Community College District would get $20 million. The remaining $20 million would go toward health and safety improvements at all campuses, including asbestos removal and earthquake safety measures. Most campuses would get roofing, heating and air-conditioning projects, plus more parking. Here are some of the proposals for each school: Los Angeles City College

Remodeling to create a student services center.

Renovation of child development center, library and learning resource center, classrooms, and chemistry, life science and administration buildings.

Expansion and rehabilitation of physical education facilities.

East Los Angeles College

Technological upgrading of vocational education building to teach job skills for current market.

Construction of math and science buildings and a child development center.

Conversion of an administration building to classroom and science laboratories.

Harbor College

Technological upgrading of two buildings to teach job skills for current market.

Construction of a classroom building and a child development center.

Renovation of the speech and drama building.

Expansion of physical education facilities.

Mission College

Construction of a library and learning resource center, vocational education building, social studies and humanities classrooms, a child development center and fine arts instructional facilities.

Development of physical education facilities.

Pierce College

Construction of a classroom building, including a computer lab, to replace unrepairable “bungalows.”

Construction of a health building to teach nursing and other health-related skills.

Construction of a student services center for counseling, testing, admissions services and a bookstore.

Southwest College

Construction of a health building to teach nursing and other health-related skills, a student services center and a community center.

Conversion of the main building to get additional classrooms.

Development of fine arts and physical education facilities.

Trade Technical College

Upgrading of technical center to handle modern equipment and teach skills for current job market.

Renovation of the library and learning resource center.

Rehabilitation of vocational education buildings and classrooms.

Expansion of the physical education and fitness center.

Valley College

Construction of health science building to teach nursing and other health-related skills.

Expansion of classroom facilities.

Renovation of student services center to include a bookstore and study, meeting and lecture rooms.

Development of a theater arts complex.

Improvement of outside lighting (for safety).

Rehabilitation of the library.

West Los Angeles College

Construction of a science center, an aerospace complex, a gymnasium and a student services center.

Development of fine-arts facilities.