The steel window and door frames are rusting. The window panes provide little to no insulation, and the dual heating and air conditioning system isn't energy efficient or effective. Electrical cords hang from ceilings or run across the middle of floors, posing tripping hazards and obstacles to those with disabilities. The school's wiring for computers is far from modern. Carpet holes are fixed with duct tape and hot glue. Students fill classrooms past their maximum capacity.

The college's classrooms are described by faculty as barely offering high school level facilities for instruction. But the landscaping and maintenance staff manages to "mask" the school's long list of imperfections on the 143-acre campus in Saratoga.

"Because we've never passed a bond measure, we've never done much improving. We do an excellent job of painting continually to cover it up, but we don't have the money to replace it," said Malcom Brodrick, West Valley College's dean of administrative services, pointing to some of the dilapidated exterior classroom doors in the business wing.

Floating a bond

With thoughts like these in mind, the West Valley­Mission Community College District Board of Trustees is trying to make some enormous changes to both the West Valley and Mission campuses. The trustees voted unanimously at a special board meeting July 22 to place a $235 million bond measure on the Nov. 2 ballot. The deadline to place the measure on the ballot is Aug. 6.

West Valley attempted to pass a bond in 2002, but the measure failed because of a reference to stadium and athletic facility improvements. The current bond measure prohibits any such changes.

"After conferring with the West Valley and Mission College students, administration, members of the faculty, staff and our communities within the district, the board felt a bond was critical to maintain and upgrade the quality of education our students deserve," said Jack Lucas, president of the board.

Ruth Carlson, the district's public affairs director, said that, should the measure pass, the bonds would be issued in a four-part series—2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011, with approximately $60 million of the $235 million being allocated each time. Each time the $60 million is issued, Carlson said the district would have three years to spend it.

"The only reason we are here is for the students," Carlson said. "And we think we should have adequate services for students."

The district has developed an "Educational Facilities Master Plan" that details critical repairs and renovations that could qualify for bond funds. District officials are also pursuing state funding, which may allow additional portions of the master plan to be completed.

The $235 million bond measure, called the Community College Repair/Job Training Measure, asks the voters to approve funding for health and safety equipment, updates to the science and math laboratories, expansion of classroom space for nursing, police and firefighter training, and repairing leaking roofs, outdated fire-alarm systems and antiquated technology, among others.

"The West Valley­Mission Community College District is 40 years old, and our buildings and equipment have deteriorated from constant use," said District Chancellor Stan Arterberry. "We want to make sure our facilities are able to meet our community's demand for current job-training programs and transferring to universities and four-year colleges."

If the bond measure passes, an independent oversight committee of citizens will be appointed, by law, to ensure that bond money is spent as identified in the measure, according to Carlson. The investment cost in the community college district is $14 per $100,000 of assessed valuation of property. The community college district has never passed a bond in its history, unlike neighboring community college districts such as Foothill­De Anza and San Jose/Evergreen.

No funds for stadium

The bond measure requires that the district spend all the bond revenues on facilities, rather than salaries of administrators or faculty. In addition, the measure states that the district will not spend any funds improving the football and track facilities at West Valley College.

In 1967, the city of Saratoga granted the community college district a permit to build West Valley College, provided that the district wouldn't construct an outdoor sports stadium. According to the Saratoga News archives, a bowl that could accommodate a small stadium was later excavated at the college, and a track and football field was placed in the middle. This action has been the source of litigation over the years between the college and the city, as well as the cause of controversy and conflict with neighbors who live near the school.

The main reason that Measure E—a $268 million bond measure placed before the voters on March 5, 2002—failed to acquire the 55 percent vote needed to pass was because the ballot language included upgrades to West Valley's athletic facilities and stadium, in addition to facilities at both of the colleges.

"The needs of the district last time got crowded around other things," said trustee Frank Jewett. "It was really about the students and people meeting their personal and educational objectives. Last time, this didn't come across as strongly as necessary."

By prohibiting bond proceeds from being spent on West Valley College's football and track field in the upcoming November election, district trustees, faculty members and administrators are confident the bond measure will pass. Trustee Joy Atkins, a board member since 1988, said this bond measure, at $235 million, is significantly less than the $268 million measure that failed in 2002. She said the lower dollar amount and the lack of organized opposition to the measure this year are all working in the district's favor.

Favorable polling

West Valley College has an average population of about 10,000 students who come from Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Los Gatos, Campbell, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and a small portion of San Jose. A poll conducted by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates May 19­23 gauged voter support for the bond measure. According to Kevin Bayley, a spokesman for the polling group, 500 telephone interviews were conducted with people registered and mostly likely to vote in the November election and who live within the district's boundaries. More than 60 percent of those surveyed said they would vote in favor of a $462 million bond measure for the community college district, which is far more than the $235 million measure that will actually appear on the ballot.

"We only need 55 percent to win," Bayley said. "And this is before we've done any educating of the public on the campaign."

However, the community college district's bond measure will face competition on the November ballot from the city of Saratoga's 5 percent utility tax and Campbell Union High School District's parcel tax. The parcel tax would be imposed on owners of parcels of land within the district boundaries, at $85 per parcel. The parcel tax, known as Measure Q, was approved by the Campbell district's school board at a July 15 meeting. It would be assessed over a five-year period and requires a two-thirds majority vote for passage.

Problems on campus

The blooming flowers, rolling green hills and campus landscaping at West Valley College are appealing and necessary to attract new students, according to faculty members. But during a July 21 facilities tour of West Valley College, Brodrick pointed out that the flowers are all donated to the school by the Saratoga Rotary Art Show. The community college district doesn't have the money to pay for them.

"We are simply just covering up all the problems we have," Brodrick said. "In the Silicon Valley, we should have the latest technology in all places, but we don't."

Brodrick showed off some of the business classrooms, converted from standard classrooms to handle rows of computers. In addition to needing new wiring systems, the rooms are maxed out by both students and electrical usage. The bond measure would help provide a new Campus Technology Center, to alleviate such overuse.

Brodrick said there's also a demand for "smart classrooms," including updates such as overhead projectors, DVD players, interactive technology and a wireless network. Some of the classrooms still have desks set in immovable rows. Brodrick pointed out portables intended for temporary usage at West Valley College's former Campbell campus that still exist at the Saratoga campus today.

The facilities, when not in use by the college, are rented out to the community to generate revenue to pay for repairs. But Brodrick said those funds are never enough to make the school "the world-class institution" that the chancellor would like the school to become.

Pre-medical, dental and nursing students take anatomy classes and perform experiments on cadavers under unsuitable learning and lighting conditions. Biology instructor Christine Peters said there's no proper way to store and access the bodies. A makeshift lift allows the cadavers to be raised, lowered and stored on wooden shelves. The lab can only accommodate nine cadavers, donated by Life Chiropractic.

"We can't acquire any more because there's no place to put them," Peters said.

Peters added that better facilities, equipment and tools would make the dissection experiments and working environment much safer. In addition, the ventilation and drainage systems for the lab are inadequate, and the lab emanates a powerful odor of formaldehyde and other such preservatives.

The bond measure would provide a new science laboratory wing. Without the passage of a bond measure, Brodrick described conditions like these as "a losing battle."

The district's "Educational Facilities Master Plan" is on file and available for the public to review at the district chancellor's office, public information office and office of the president, 14000 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga.

Taxes facing area residents may seem the same, but they are different. The difference according to the Santa Clara County Tax Collector's Office:

* Parcel tax—A parcel tax is voter-approved. It appears on an annual property tax bill as "a special assessment." The tax amount is set per parcel of land within a district's boundaries by the enacting legislative measure. There is also usually a sunset clause, or expiration, on the tax.

* Bond measure—A bond measure has a more specific purpose than a parcel tax. If passed by voters, bonds are issued for that particular purpose. A tax is approved and collected at a set rate as "a special assessment" to repay the bonds over a certain amount of time, based on the legalese of the bond. A bond measure also usually includes a sunset clause, or expiration.

* Utility tax—This is a tax applied to a utility bill, based on usage or consumption. It is imposed on every purchaser of a utility service, and is also usually voter-approved for a specific duration of time.

Source: Bruce Overoye, information systems director, Santa Clara County Tax Collector's Office