 |
|
|
|
|
The city council takes a stand against the WV-MCC bond
Members say they can't back athletic field funds
Citizens angry at school
By Oakley Brooks
The Saratoga City Council will not support the West Valley-Mission College District's $268 million bond measure scheduled to go to a vote of district residents on March 5.
Saratoga residents filled council members' email boxes with letters of opposition last week and then filed, one-by-one, up to the Civic Theatre podium for nearly two hours on Feb. 6 to voice their distrust of the college district and their concerns about its plans to expand its West Valley football and track facility.
That led the council to unanimously vote against Measure E, with Councilman Stan Bogosian recusing.
Several Saratoga school administration veterans say it is the first time that a city council has ever opposed an educational bond measure.
"I've never heard of the council doing that," said Dan Ungaro, who was the superintendent of Saratoga Union School district for 25 years.
Council members had reservations about opposing a measure that promises repairs and upgrades to the 35-year-old West Valley campus and its sister, Mission College in Santa Clara. College administrators say the improvements are badly needed.
But a handful of college affiliates and residents could not convince the council that the repairs were more important than the district's plans to spend up to $5 million of the bond on improvements to the athletic facility.
"The district board made a strategic error in including the facility in this bond measure," Vice Mayor Evan Baker said Feb. 6. "It became a lightning rod. The college tries very hard to do a credible job academically. Unfortunately, this [athletic facility] issue has festered, since long before I ever moved here."
In 1967, the city granted the college district a permit to build West Valley, provided the college district would not construct an outdoor sports stadium. However, a bowl that might accommodate a small stadium was excavated at the college and a track and football field placed in the middle. Over the years, proposed improvements to that bowl have driven a wedge between the college and city residents.
This past fall, the college district board talked of proposing two different bond measures, one for the West Valley athletic facility upgrades and one for other improvements at the two colleges.
But in November they settled on one combined measure.
West Valley-Mission Chancellor Linda Salter said after the city council's vote Feb. 6 that she expected it to oppose the bond measure. "This particular city council was elected by the same people who are against the bond," she said. Salter added that with the city representing 8 percent of the total electorate of the college district, she is not worried that disgruntled Saratogans will stop the bond's passage.
An energetic crowd of close to 50 residents, used to battling with college board members and administrators at the district's twice-monthly board meetings, took over the city council chambers Feb. 6.
West Valley Homeowners Association President Vic Monia told the council that he had received more than 1,100 contributions from residents and local property owners in the area who opposed a "stadium" and the bond measure.
"It's illogical for the council to support this bond, since they are against the stadium," said Monia.
Board Trustee Jeff Schwartz attacked WVC's academic record, saying recent transfers from the college were low compared to others.
West Valley College President Marchelle Fox responded to claims about the college's substandard academic performance on Feb. 6, saying that "when students transfer to four-year colleges, West Valley students do as well or better than other transfers."
|
|
|
|
Saratoga, California Since 1955
