Facts About Measure U
For Safety & Modernization at Santa Monica College

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* The Santa Monica College Board of Trustees has placed a bond measure on the March 5, 2002, ballot that authorizes the College to issue up to $160 million in bonds for capital improvement projects at the College.

* Proposition 39 requires that the cost to property owners for the bonds never exceeds $25 per $100,000 assessed valuation. As a result, bonds would be issued in increments over a number of years. Projected average cost would be about $19.61 per $100,000 assessed valuation over the life of the measure.

* The projected average cost to homeowners would be about $77 per year or $6.42 per month.

* The projected average cost to renters would be about $1.12 per month.

* Passage of the bond measure would qualify the College for many millions of dollars in State matching funds.

* Funds from Measure U must be used to:

• Increase educational opportunities and raise student achievement;

• Replace or repair deteriorating buildings and related facilities;

• Construct, furnish, and equip classrooms, laboratories, learning resources, and related facilities;

• Upgrade computer technology and energy saving equipment;

• Improve campus safety, fire security, parking and lighting;

• Improve or acquire real property; and

• Complete earthquake retrofitting.

* The list of projects to be financed under Measure U includes:

• Replacement of the earthquake-damaged Liberal Arts building

• A new Student Services Center to relocate programs out of temporary buildings and to restore campus open space

• Construction of a new addition to the Science Complex for Nursing, Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences, Math and related programs

• Acquisition of property to provide off-campus parking

• A new home for the highly popular Emeritus College for older adults

• Construction of underground parking garages

• Construction of a new Literacy Center building

• Renovation of campus Main Stage Theater to meet modern teaching standards

• Modernization and renovation of Student Activities Building

• Central utility plant and distribution system to reduce energy costs and improve the environment

* The Board will appoint a citizens’ oversight committee to inform the public concerning the spending of proceeds of the bonds.

* Proposition 39 approved by California voters permits such bond measures to be approved by 55 percent of the votes cast by Santa Monica and Malibu voters.

* A poll conducted for SMC showed that 69 percent of the respondents in Santa Monica and Malibu or members of their families have taken classes at the College in the last five years.

* 97% regard Santa Monica College “very favorably” or “somewhat favorably.”

* 90% of survey respondents believe Santa Monica College is doing an “excellent” or “pretty good” job of educating students, compared to 79% of survey respondents in a 1991 survey.

* Santa Monica College is the number one transfer institution to UCLA, USC, and Loyola Marymount, of any college or university in the country.

* Santa Monica College is also the number one transfer institution to the University of California system for African Americans and Latinos, of any college in the country.

* Comparison to Other Community Colleges: All greater Los Angeles area communities either approved facility bonds last year or are proposing facility improvement bonds this year. Here is a listing by dollar amount. SMC is roughly equivalent in size to Pasadena, Mount SAC, El Camino, and East Los Angeles College.

• For additional information about Measure U, please call Don Girard, Santa Monica College Director of Marketing, at (310) 434-4287. For information about the bond campaign, you may contact Urban Dimensions at (310) 899-6767.