Questions and Answers About the Local Bond Measure
How is Antelope Valley College doing?
Antelope Valley Community College District provides high-quality, affordable higher education for local students, professionals and returning veterans. AVC offers outstanding academic programs that provide crucial job training and allow students to transfer to the best four-year universities. The College also offers essential job training in close partnership with local industry to prepare local students for jobs in aerospace, engineering, manufacturing, healthcare and other skilled professions.
What facility challenges are facing Antelope Valley College?
AVC is proud to provide fast-paced job training programs for local students and professionals, but many educational facilities need replacement and upgrades. The College addresses theses needs through our long-term Facilities Master Plan. To provide local residents with the types of programs that will prepare them to compete for 21st century careers or to transfer to four-year universities, we need to ensure that our college facilities are safe and up-to-date.
What facility updates are needed to prepare students for future success?
Many of the classroom and student service buildings at AVC are original facilities dating back 50 years. Designed in the 1960s, these facilities were not engineered to meet current seismic and environmental standards. Due to a decade of state budget reductions, replacement and safety upgrades are long overdue. AVC must replace deteriorated classrooms, buildings and laboratories to train students in new technologies and prepare them for jobs of the future. New, safe and energy efficient facilities will keep AVC in good condition for many years to come.
How is the College planning to address these facility needs?
The College has completed a Facilities Master Plan that provides a plan for educational space needs well into the future. To finance the construction, repair and maintenance of these facilities, the Antelope Valley Community College District Board of Trustees placed a bond measure on the November 8, 2016 ballot.
What projects will this measure complete?
The local measure will:
- Upgrade and replace AVC facilities to support high-quality instruction and prepare students for jobs and four-year universities
- Improve educational facilities for student services to include returning veterans
- Provide new classrooms and labs to expand rapid job training programs to prepare students for local aerospace, engineering and manufacturing jobs
- Repair or replace aging classroom buildings that currently have leaky roofs, heating, cooling, plumbing and electricity problems
- Update technology and maintain technology updates as needed
- Upgrade math, engineering, aerospace and advanced manufacturing classrooms and labs
- Update and replace aging electrical and mechanical systems to reduce energy consumption and utility bills
- Create an ongoing maintenance endowment, so that AVC will never again be exclusively dependent on state maintenance funding.
Are there any other sources of funding for AVC facility upgrades and repairs?
No other source of funding exists to make the necessary improvements to AVC. Unfortunately, we cannot rely on the state to be a reliable partner in funding our facilities needs. AVC continues to use existing funding efficiently, but a local measure is the only way to provide adequate funding to modernize our local community college.
How can I be sure bond funds would be spent wisely?
The measure includes strict fiscal accountability protections including:
- All funds are to be spent here in Antelope Valley and can not be taken away by the state of California
- An independent oversight committee and regular audits ensure all funds are spent as promised
- By law, no funds could be used for administrative salaries.
How much will the local measure cost me?
The annual cost of the measure will be limited to no more than $25 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value (not market value). The assessed value of a home is determined each year by the Los Angeles County Assessor, and is generally based on the original purchase price of the home.
How does Antelope Valley College fuel our local economy?
AVC has a service area of 1,945 square miles with annual enrollment of more than 18,000 students and employs more than 850 people. The College is an essential part of the Antelope Valley economy. AVC partners with local employers in aerospace, engineering, healthcare, manufacturing and other industries to help train local students and prepare them for today’s high-demand careers. Local businesses depend on specialized training programs and the skills of AVC graduates. The college educates the healthcare professionals who serve our medical needs, the law enforcement personnel who keep us safe and the skilled workers who fuel our economy.
How can I find out more?
For more information, please contact the Office of Public Information at (661) 722-6300 ext. 6696.