Major improvements could be coming to the Citrus College campus if voters approve Measure Y in the Nov. 3 general election.
Measure Y— the Citrus College Career Education, Repair, Affordable Higher Education Measure— is a $298 million bond measure proposed by the Citrus College Board of Trustees to the County of Los Angeles. The measure’s vote is only applicable in the Citrus College District.
The measure would fund facility improvements such as meeting earthquake and fire safety standards, removing lead paint and replacing outdated utilities. It would also fund upgrades to classrooms and laboratories used for career education programs.
“It will give more opportunity for students to give them real-world experience,” Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Claudette Dain said.
Some of the more substantial improvements consist of new facilities altogether. Some buildings they plan to change include the Veterans Success Center, Learning Resource Center and Library which would be demolished and replaced with modern facilities.
The Education and Facilities Master Plan describes the improvements the new measure would tackle.
Citrus Superintendent/President Geraldine Perri described the EFMP process as having begun in fall 2018 with a “thorough environmental scan and an examination of enrollment trends and student outcomes.”
Citrus College needs a 55% vote to proceed with the Measure Y bond, which would affect home-owning taxpayers in the district.
“Think of the homeowners— those who live in the Citrus Community College school district— based on the average median cost of the value of those homes,” Dain said. “Measure Y, on an annual basis, will cost the average homeowner $90 a year. That’s less than a quarter a day.”
Julian “Trip” Horton, the PE athletics facilities supervisor, said the kinesiology and competitive athletics programs could benefit from larger meeting spaces for athletics and modern, multi-use facilities. These would be moved into a new kinesiology building built adjacent to the existing gym facility and athletic facilities, replacing the AP, AQ and PE buildings.
“I would like to see the PE building updated as it is now one of the oldest buildings on campus,” said Horton in an email interview. “Sometimes the ‘awe’ factor of meeting the coach for the first time on campus and seeing the facilities will make the athlete want to come to Citrus College.”
