The West Valley-Mission Community College District serves a vital role in providing local, high quality, affordable higher education at West Valley and Mission Colleges. Every semester over 20,000 students enroll in courses at West Valley College in Saratoga and Mission College in Santa Clara.

On Tuesday evening, the West Valley-Mission Community College District Board of Trustees unanimously approved placing a local higher education funding measure on the June 2012 ballot to ensure local students continue to have access to high quality, affordable higher education. A $350 million local bond measure will address critical needs and priorities at West Valley and Mission Colleges.

“With the U.C. and Cal State systems becoming increasingly expensive, more and more students are relying on local community colleges,” said West Valley-Mission Community College District Trustee Adrienne Grey. “For many students, our local community colleges are the main entry point for to higher educations. We must invest in our colleges so we can continue to provide local students with a high-quality, affordable education and the job training programs they might not otherwise receive.”

West Valley-Mission Community College District serves students throughout the region including Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale among others.

 “It is important that we continue to provide high quality, affordable higher education for local students at West Valley and Mission Colleges,” said Chancellor John E. Hendrickson. “We need to update academic facilities and technology so we can prepare students for transfer to 4-year universities and provide them with the education they need for the high-demand jobs of the 21^st Century.”

“We must also ensure that West Valley and Mission Colleges can accommodate students in high-demand and popular classes that currently have long waiting lists. A local education funding measure can help in continuing to ensure that our students have access to high-quality, affordable higher education right here in our local communities.”

A recently commissioned independent survey of voters in the West Valley-Mission Community College District shows strong voter support for a local higher education funding measure on the June 2012 ballot. The survey, conducted November 13^th through November 21^st by the highly respected opinion research firm of EMC Research, shows as much as 66% of overall respondents would support a local education funding measure, well above the 55% threshold needed for passage.

Respondents placed high priorities on maintenance, repairs and technology updates and repairing and replacing leaky roofs, heating, cooling, plumbing and electricity throughout aging college campuses. Making all buildings, classrooms, and community facilities accessible to people with disabilities and improving facilities focused on nursing, radiation technology and other health career programs were also priorities for the public.