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Bond projects help Del Mar grow
A new South Campus and new buildings strengthen the junior college
By Icess Fernandez/Caller-Times
The fruits of a $108 million bond package for Del Mar College are starting to grow and should start to blossom this year.
Passed by voters last year, the bonds will fund new and improved infrastructure to accommodate the college’s expanding student population.
Enrollment at Del Mar College has steadily increased over the past few years.
Almost 10,000 students enrolled for fall semester courses in 2000. In fall 2001, 10,256 signed up, and in fall 2002, 11,218 enrolled. Enrollment in fall 2003 was 11,289.
"Voters recognized the value that Del Mar College adds to the community, educationally and economically," said Jose Alaniz, the college’s acting president. "They understood that the college could better serve the area by increasing classroom space and improving current facilities and technology that students need."
Most of the bond projects are being built for applied sciences and technologies.
Ready for growth
Gabe Rivas, president of the board of regents and the chair of the building and grounds committee, said so many science and technology buildings are being built because more students apply to those classes, including applied science and public safety. Occupational Education and Tech is the college’s most popular major, followed by business and career program majors which include registered and vocational nursing education, he said.
"Enrollment is growing steadily and we are opting to be ready," Rivas said. The most costly portion of the bond project, $27.1 million, will be devoted to the new Health Science Facility. The complex will house existing and proposed health science programs and will have specialized library space and equipment for 15 current disciplines and several proposed additions.
Building renovations on some of the college’s East Campus buildings, including Richardson Auditorium, the Garcia Sciences Building, and general campus improvements, will cost $25.8 million.
Another $3.4 million will be used for constructing the Center for Economic Workforce and Community Education on Staples Street. The campus, formerly an Albertsons grocery store, will house the division of economics, workforce, and community education.
Rivas said that the building is in the final phase of design.
The lead project in the bond package is the Industrial Education Complex on the West Campus. The complex, which will replace six obsolete shop-training buildings, will cost $8.8 million. The building will provide specialized classrooms and technological laboratories for students in industrial education.
Funding cuts
Officials are trying to keep part of the $108 million investment in the local economy. About 70 percent of the consultant fees went to local architectural and engineering firms.
Although the bond project will allow the college to expand its physical space curriculum, Del Mar isn’t out of the financial woods in terms of state funding. State legislatures cut higher education funding across the board. An attempt to expand the college’s taxing district, which would have resulted in $9.6 million in additional funding, failed with a governor’s veto.
In addition, House Bill 1, section 50, which pass during the last state legislative session, will not reimburse colleges and universities for students who took a course more than three times. This legislation would effect students in remedial class whom take them over. About 841 of students take classes over three times. Officials said that they could lose about $1.15 million or 3 percent of their funding per year.
Contact Icess Fernandez at 886-3748 or fernandezi@caller.com
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