photo credit: Santa Rosa Junior College 
The Santa Rosa Campus.

Santa Rosa Junior College trustees voted this week to place a record $830 million bond measure on the November ballot.

Administrators of the North Bay's main community college say the state of California is not providing the district with sufficient funding to adequately maintain its educational facilities and academic programs.

The proposal would modernize the 108‑year‑old institution and address facility needs across campuses in Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino counties. It would also target what administrators describe as a major backlog of maintenance and seismic safety upgrades.

“It’s not just about brick and mortar,‘’ Board Trustee Ezrah Chaaban said. ‘’It’s about investing in the success of our students and the future of our community here in Sonoma County. It’s about building the future that we seek.” 

Voters last approved a facilities bond in 2014. Measure H raised about $410 million for the district, but Chaaban said it hasn’t been enough to meet long‑term needs.

“Measure H has been a critical tool for the college. But there’s still great unmet needs," Chaaban said. "We get very little from the state, and what we do get is not reliable on a year‑to‑year basis. That’s not gonna change anytime soon.” 

Trustee Maggie Fishman said the district must ensure future students have safe, modern learning environments.

“I had a conversation with a 5‑year‑old… and I asked her what she was gonna do when she grows up. She said, ‘Well, I’m gonna be a princess doctor, and I’m going to the SRJC.’ Here’s my future — here’s the child that I need to make sure has the classroom they need, has the equipment in the classroom, that doesn’t have the leaky roof. So we’re moving into the 21st century,” Fishman said.

District leaders say taxpayer rates would remain the same under the proposal. Early polling commissioned by the college shows the measure clearing the threshold required to pass.