Voters decided that Cabrillo College will not get a new science building, library, and first responder training, after the $274.1 million education Bond Measure R was shot down in the March 3rd election.
“I think there’s a good number of absentee ballot still to come in,” said Cabrillo College President Matt Wetstein the day after the election. “I just want the democratic process to play out.”
His hypothesis on why the bond failed was that it was placed on the ballot below another education bond and there was a statewide trend against community college bonds. Bonds also failed in Merced and Rancho Santiago.
If this fails after the final tally, Wetstein said he will talk to the school board about another attempt in the future.
Another bond measure will be at least another four years, as Wetstein thinks this November won’t be favorable for education bonds.
Cabrillo wanted to spend the money on a new science building, renovations to the library and administration building, and on new programs for first responders.
Students are shut out from science classes because there is no space. We have a science building that, “was built before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon” in 1969.
With just over 26,000 yes votes and 25,778 no’s, the 55 percent majority needed for the bond to pass missed the mark by just under 2,500 votes.
In other ballot issues, Santa Cruzans hugely supported Bernie Sanders who got the largest percentage of the votes, with 38.4 percent of the 41,572 votes. Anna Eshoo and Jimmy Panetta, continue to be the US Representatives for the 18th and 20th Congressional Districts. John Laird was elected to succeed Senator Bill Monning with 56.9 percent of the vote, and both Drew Glover and Chris Krohn were recalled with 56 percent and 54 percent of the vote respectively.