Proposition 47 Benefits the Yuba College District

(Woodland, CA) Cling, clang, cling, clang. That was the sound heard by staff and students on the Woodland Community College campus in the morning hours of May 8 earlier this year. The noise, although audibly subtle, was not enough to cause the casual passerby alarm or concern by staff for student well being. As a matter of fact, the sound, almost completely inaudible, was not negative by nature in the slightest.

The “cling-clang” heard that morning was actually the sound of progress.Woodland Community College, a satellite campus of Yuba College, broke ground on Thursday morning, May 8, 2003 on what is to become a new 20,000 square foot sciences facility. The proposition 47 funded project will be the newest addition to the Woodland based campus. Once completed, the building will greatly enhance the science programs currently being offered and will allow the campus to provide additional classes on site.

The current dedicated sciences facilities at the community college consist of a two classroom portable unit with other classes being handled at the local high school. The new building will house two large lecture halls and five science labs, which will allow the campus to hold the majority of their offered curriculum on site. The campus will also be able to offer additional classes not currently scheduled in a typical semester such as microbiology and organic chemistry.

The $5.8 million price tag is being funded by proposition 47, which was passed last November. The bill made $13.5 billion available to California schools for renovation and expansion of existing facilities. The bond was to be used to expand existing campuses and to bring many of California’s neglected schools up to current safety codes. The funds were made available to schools ranging from kindergarten to the state college level.

Construction is expected to be completed by mid 2004 with the first available classes planned for Fall 2004.