Express-News Article

Bond money means Palo Alto can expand
Web Posted: 11/30/2005 12:01 AM CST

Edmundo ConchasExpress-News Staff Writer

When it came time to vote for the Alamo Community College District's new bond proposal at the beginning of this month, Daniel Gollihar was ready — thanks to all of the information he got at his school.

Gollihar, 22, said he voted in both the Nov. 8 election and ACCD's previous proposal that failed last February, and he understands why the bond push was successful this time around.

"They did a lot better job in getting the word out," the Palo Alto College student said.

Palo Alto officials agreed, stressing that educating the surrounding communities on what the district's plan was all about was a key in getting residents to the polls to vote on the $450 million bond proposal.
The bond received 60 percent voter approval. Now, officials at the various campuses are looking forward to expansions and improvements.

"Palo Alto College is ready to build," said Ana "Cha" Guzman, Palo Alto College president. "We have absolute support from the faculty, students and the surrounding neighborhood. There's no doubt in my mind that San Antonio, as a community, understands the importance of this. We live in a community that believes in coalition, and this coalition came together."

Guzman added that a main reason for the bond's success this time was leaving St. Philip's and San Antonio colleges' allied nursing and health programs in their present locations. February's bond proposal had those programs being moved to a new facility that would have been built at the Medical Center.
"I think that the East Side and downtown communities spoke very clearly," she said. "They have an investment in SAC and St. Philip's."

Palo Alto College faculty and staff need to know when and how the improvements are going to proceed, and there will be discussions on that very soon, she said.

"What we're going to do is have a retreat where we can fully comprehend the growth that this bond is going to allow us," Guzman said. "We're going to have to rank the need of the different buildings."

Palo Alto is slated to receive $55 million for new buildings, including $12.6 million for a new humanities and convocation center and $6.3 million for a veterinary science building that would move those classes to the main campus at 1400 Villaret. Those classes now are being conducted at Brooks City-Base.

School plans also call for a new "auto manufacturing of excellence" center estimated to cost $9.7 million and a $6.5 million allied health career center. They've also budgeted for some classroom renovations and additional parking.

"Everyone here wants to know when we are going to get started," Guzman said. "Everyone is ready for us to improve and increase what we're offering to this community, and I think that this time around that came through very clearly."

econchas@express-news.net