Governor Newsom and Legislature approve funding for San Bernardino Community College District in 2021–22 state budget.

Highlights: 

  • In the state budget that starts July 1, Governor Newsom and legislators approved funding to build a new workforce training hub and performing arts education venue at San Bernardino Valley College and Crafton Hills College, respectively. 
  • SBCCD and state lawmakers underscore that community college facility improvements will promote job creation, career training opportunities, and regional quality of life. 
  • Major campus construction starts this fall — the first in a 10-year series of modernization projects approved by local voters in 2018 through Measure CC. 


The San Bernardino Community College District secured $37 million in state funding to build a new workforce training center at San Bernardino Valley College and a performing arts education center at Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa. Governor Newsom and the legislature included these campus infrastructure projects in the state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. SBCCD will match the state dollars from Measure CC money voters approved locally in 2018. 


“These two campus projects will directly serve Inland families by expanding career advancement opportunities and a better quality of life,” said Dr. Anne L. Viricel, chair of the SBCCD Board of Trustees. “We are grateful to our state policymakers who made our students and community colleges a state budget priority.” 


Chancellor-Designate Diana Z. Rodriguez said the state investments are welcome and an essential boost for the region’s future. “Whether through hands-on career training or inspiring creative thinking, we envision building our community colleges into vibrant places of learning and intellectual stimulation for our local students, families, faculty, and staff,” she said. 


The construction projects will strengthen the local economy, said Interim Chancellor Jose F. Torres. “We are laser-focused on hiring local contractors, including minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses,” he said. “From architects, engineers, and electricians to plumbers and landscapers, our goal is to generate economic opportunities for Inland Empire businesses and jobs for our community.” Information on bid opportunities is available at www.sbccd.edu/MeasureCC. 

Workforce Training Hub Coming in 2024 
 
Construction starts in late 2021 on San Bernardino Valley College’s 114,000 square foot building outfitted for modern workforce training. The new building will be accessible, sustainable, and filled with the tools needed for training students in water management, automotive repair, heavy truck technology, machining, electrical heating, and air conditioning, among other fields. 
The new two-story complex will provide students with indoor and outdoor lab space for hands-on training, replacing one of the campus’s oldest and most maintenance-intensive facilities. 
It will be a sustainable building that provides a place to learn about green technology in a space that looks like a modern working environment. The new building is expected to open in early 2024.