Sonoma County Junior College District
SONOMA COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT
BOND MEASURE ELECTION NOVEMBER 3, 2026
PROJECTS
The Board of Trustees of the Sonoma County Junior College District, to be responsive to the needs of its community, evaluated both of the College’s campuses in Santa Rosa and Petaluma and the District’s Public Safety Training Center, SRJC Roseland and Shone Farm education centers’ urgent and critical facility needs, and their capacity to provide students an affordable education and job training facilities for nursing, firefighting, first responders, agriculture, auto mechanics and building trades, and prepare them for success in local jobs and in transferring to four-year universities. Job training and college transfer facilities, safety issues, class size and offerings, and information and computer technology were each considered in developing the types of projects to be funded by this measure. In developing the types of projects described herein, job training facilities, facilities supporting college transfer and career training classrooms, and the expansion of opportunities for local students to receive an affordable, quality education, were prioritized.
The Board of Trustees determines that Sonoma County Junior College District MUST:
(i) Require annual financial audits and independent citizen oversight;
(ii) Require local control of funds;
(iv) Attract and retain high quality faculty;
(v) Prepare students for universities;
(vi) ENSURE ALL FUNDS SPENT LOCALLY.
The following types of projects are authorized to be undertaken at District facilities, and at Sonoma County Junior College District:
PROTECTING LOCAL FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HIGHER EDUCATION:
Improvements Needed To Allow Santa Rosa Junior College to provide
AFFORDABLE CAREEER EDUCATION FACILITIES FOR THE TRADES AND CAREERS IN NURSING AND PUBLIC SAFETY
Goals and Purposes:
The cost of attending a public university in California has skyrocketed. As a result, more and more students are relying on community colleges for some or all of their education. This measure will help ensure that our local community college can provide our community access to high‐quality, affordable college options.
This measure will help prepare local students for local jobs by expanding the college’s capacity to train students for careers in healthcare, public safety, agriculture, building trades, and others. High school graduates should not have to leave their community to get the skilled training they need for these local industries.
Many of Sonoma County’s first responders, including EMTs, police officers,
and firefighters receive their training at Santa Rosa Junior College. This measure will provide the updated equipment and classrooms students need to become highly‐qualified first responders and keep our community safe.
- Upgrade classrooms, labs, and instructional equipment to increase capacity and support workforce training programs for local, high demand industries.
- Modernize and expand public safety training facilities for EMT, firefighter, and law enforcement education, including updated emergency response equipment and hands on learning environments.
- Providing career technical education in fields such as agriculture, welding, auto mechanics, and building trades.
- Modernizing and expanding job training centers for nursing and other healthcare fields.
- Upgrading classroom technology to provide instruction that gives students 21st century skills.
- Fixing leaky roofs
- Improving laboratories to prepare students to work in the fast‐growing local job market.
- Ensuring facilities meet earthquake, fire and other safety codes
The listed projects will be completed as needed. Each project is assumed to include its share of furniture, equipment, architectural, engineering, and similar planning costs, program/project management, staff training expenses, a customary contingency, and costs associated with the Total Cost of Ownership of facilities and equipment. In addition to the listed projects stated above, authorized projects also include the acquisition of a variety of instructional, maintenance and operational equipment, including the costs of preparation of all facility planning, fiscal reporting, facility studies, assessment reviews, facility master plan preparation and updates, environmental studies (including environmental investigation, remediation and monitoring), design and construction documentation, and temporary housing of dislocated college activities caused by construction projects, including leasing portable buildings and off-campus parking. In addition to the projects listed above, repair, renovation and construction projects may include, but not be limited to, some or all of the following: renovate student and staff restrooms; acquire and install emergency power generators; replace aging electrical and plumbing systems; repair and replace heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; acquire vehicles; upgrade of facilities for energy efficiencies, including photovoltaic/solar installations, battery energy storage and electric vehicle charging stations; repair and replace worn-out and leaky roofs, windows, walls, doors and drinking fountains; build new or renovate existing facilities such as science buildings, farms, hospitality and agri-science center, veterans’ support facility, allied career technical center, administrative buildings, industrial technology buildings, wellness/allied health facilities, culinary arts facilities, planetarium, arts facilities, nursing and physical therapy facilities, agricultural facilities and buildings, early childhood education center, maintenance yard/warehouse buildings, business and technical support facilities, emergency operations center, career and technical education buildings, student services and welcome centers, bookstore, dining and food services, physical education facilities, visual and performing arts facilities including theatres and galleries, classrooms, and buildings, bus stops, parking lots, structures, and garages; plan, construct, acquire or contribute to affordable student and workforce housing units, removal of outdated buildings and construction of new classrooms and support buildings, install wiring and electrical systems to safely accommodate computers, technology and other electrical devices and needs; upgrade facilities to meet current environmental sustainability and State compliance standards; repair and replace fire alarms, emergency communications and security systems; upgrade, resurface, replacing or relocate hard courts, fields, turf and irrigation systems; replace/upgrade existing signage to reflect better wayfinding; replace, modernize and upgrade existing elevator systems; demolition of outdated and unsafe or outdated facilities; upgrade classrooms, install artificial turf on athletic fields; build or upgrade facilities; construct, expand or reconfigure facilities to create large lecture classrooms; upgrade, resurface and recondition existing parking lots; improve vehicular access and traffic circulation; improve drop-off zones and roundabouts; repair, upgrade and install interior and exterior lighting systems; replace old portable classrooms, water lines and valves, sewer lines and other plumbing systems; construct, upgrade, acquire or expand multi-use classrooms and labs, and workforce facilities, centers for academic and student achievement services, career and technical education building, student service/campus center and instructional buildings, and athletic facilities; improve water conservation and energy efficiency; acquire or lease land and facilities; replace or upgrade outdated security and safety systems; build and improve trails and outdoor learning spaces; replace existing window systems with energy-efficient systems to reduce costs; improve insulation, weatherproofing and roofs to reduce costs; improve ADA access; install and repair fire safety equipment, including alarms, smoke detectors, sprinklers, emergency lighting, and fire safety doors; replace broken concrete walks, deteriorated asphalt; replace/upgrade existing signage; demolition of unsafe facilities; install new security systems, such as security (surveillance) cameras, burglar alarms, handrails, outdoor lighting, fencing, gates and classroom door locks; improve drainage systems to prevent flooding; upgrade roadway and pedestrian paths for improved safety and access for emergency vehicles, site parking, utilities and grounds. The project list also includes the reduction, refinancing or retirement of outstanding lease obligations and interim funding incurred to advance fund projects from the Project List.
The upgrading of technology infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, upgrading classroom technology, expanding wireless internet access, acquire portable interface devices, servers, switches, routers, modules, sound projection systems, information systems, printers, digital white boards, upgrade voice-over-IP, communication systems, enterprise software, licenses and warranties, audio/visual and telecommunications systems, call manager and network security/firewall, Internet connectivity, wireless systems, technology infrastructure, disaster recovery and business continuity infrastructure (secondary sites, backup systems, redundant connectivity), information and cyber security systems, such as security monitoring and incident response infrastructure, including logging, SIEM/SOC tools, endpoint security, and data loss prevention and other miscellaneous IT and instructional equipment, DATA storage, fiber/copper infrastructure, phones, identity access cards, the creation and upgrading of technology for distance learning, acquire necessary software and the construction and installation of on‑premises, cloud‑based, or hybrid data center and related infrastructure for District enterprise systems, such as resource planning, websites, domain name systems, cloud applications and information security.
The allocation of bond proceeds may be affected by the final costs of each project. Some projects may be undertaken as joint use projects in cooperation with other local public or non-profit agencies. The budget for each project is an estimate and may be affected by factors beyond the District’s control. The final cost of each project or decisions will be determined as plans and construction documents are finalized, construction bids are received, construction contracts are awarded and projects are completed. Based on the final budgets of projects or on the then current priorities of the District, certain of the projects described above may be delayed or may not be undertaken. Demolition of existing facilities and reconstruction of facilities scheduled for repair and upgrade may occur, if the Board determines that such an approach would be more cost-effective in creating more enhanced and operationally efficient campuses. In addition to the listed types of projects stated above, the types of authorized projects of the measure also include the acquisition of a variety of instructional, maintenance and operational equipment. Necessary site preparation/restoration, including the acquisition and installation of temporary facilities (swing space) may occur in connection with new construction, renovation or remodeling, or installation or removal of relocatable classrooms, including ingress and egress, removing, replacing, or installing irrigation, utility lines, trees and landscaping, relocating fire access roads, and acquiring any necessary easements, licenses, or rights of way to the property. Proceeds of the bonds may be used to pay or reimburse the District for the cost of District staff when performing work on or necessary and incidental to bond projects. Bond proceeds shall only be expended for the types of projects and purposes identified herein. The District shall create an account into which proceeds of the bonds shall be deposited and comply with the reporting requirements of Government Code Section 53410.
FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY
This bond measure has strict accountability requirements including:
- All money will benefit Sonoma County Junior College District sites and CANNOT BE TAKEN BY THE STATE.
- PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF ALL SPENDING WILL BE REQUIRED.
- Require CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT and yearly AUDITS to ensure all funds are used locally, effectively and as promised.
- NO ADMINISTRATOR SALARIES. Proceeds from the sale of the bonds authorized by this proposition shall be used only for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, and not for any other purpose, including teacher, faculty and college administrator salaries, pensions and other operating expenses.
- FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY. THE EXPENDITURE OF BOND MONEY ON THESE PROJECTS IS SUBJECT TO STRINGENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS. BY LAW, PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL AUDITS WILL BE PERFORMED ANNUALLY, AND ALL BOND EXPENDITURES WILL BE MONITORED BY AN INDEPENDENT CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT FUNDS ARE SPENT AS PROMISED AND SPECIFIED. THE CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MUST INCLUDE, AMONG OTHERS, REPRESENTATION OF A BONA FIDE TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION, A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND A SENIOR CITIZENS ORGANIZATION. NO DISTRICT EMPLOYEES OR VENDORS ARE ALLOWED TO SERVE ON THE CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.