Call to Action: Submit Letters Supporting a State School Bond
Thursday, February 15, 2024
State school bond conversations are heating up, and we need your help. The Legislature and Governor need to hear directly from community colleges that our system needs to be included in the school bond. We do not want to miss this opportunity! The last successful state school bond was Proposition 51, which was passed by voters in 2016 and provided $2 billion to community colleges. CCFC supports AB 247 (Muratsuchi), which would place a $14 billion TK-14 bond on the November 2024 ballot. AB 247 would fund the existing community college capital outlay program, though the specific dollar amount for community colleges is still to be determined. CCFC is asking our community college members to draft and submit a letter in support of AB 247. See below for a template. Please submit letters as soon as possible, and by Friday, March 1 at the latest. It is important to show a groundswell of support as budget hearings kick off in March and final bond negotiations pick up. Once the bond is on the ballot, we will request Board resolutions supporting the specific proposition. There is a second bond bill still moving through the legislative process: SB 28 (Glazer), which would place a $15.5 billion TK-University bond on the ballot. CCFC does not support this version of the bond. Our primary goal is to have a viable bond that will be passed by voters. SB 28 includes provisions that contributed to the defeat of Proposition 13 in March 2020, such as the inclusion of UC and CSU and controversial policy changes to the K-12 program. How to Submit a Letter to the Legislature Submit your letter directly through the California Legislature Position Letter Portal, available here. Letters should be directed to the Senate Appropriations Committee, because that is the current location of AB 247 (check the box for Senate Appropriations, as well as for any author staff listed). Please reach out to Jessica Contreras if you need assistance. Letter deadline: As soon as possible, preferably by Friday, March 1. If submitting your letter prior to March 11, please address to Senator Anthony Portantino. If submitting your letter on or after March 11, please address to Senator Anna Caballero, who will become Chair of Senate Appropriations Committee at that time. Click here for an AB 247 Support Letter Template (.doc) It is vital to send a copy of your letter by email to:
For your reference, click here to view CCFC’s support letter on AB 247.
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