Measure C narrowly passing as Tulare County voters see need for more degrees

Lauren Jennings, Visalia Times-Delta
·3 min read
Midterm election results continue to roll in, including College of the Sequoias’ Measure C. Wednesday night’s post-election results show 55.41% of voters support Measure C, while 44.59% do not. In order to pass, the bond needs at least 55% voter support.
Midterm election results continue to roll in, including College of the Sequoias’ Measure C. Wednesday night’s post-election results show 55.41% of voters support Measure C, while 44.59% do not. In order to pass, the bond needs at least 55% voter support.

Post-midterm election results, including College of the Sequoias’ Measure C, continue to slowly roll in as mail-in ballots are processed.

Wednesday night’s post-election results show 55.41% of voters support the $95 million bond, while 44.59% do not. In order to pass, the bond needs at least 55.01% of yes votes.

The next batch of post-election results will be released Friday night.

“We are excited about the results thus far,” College of the Sequoias spokeswoman Lauren Fishback said. “We are doing well and still feel very positive.”

Measure C would fund a University Center, helping the college establish partnerships with four-year universities and provide students with Bachelor's and Master's Degree programs.  

“This partnership will lead to something bigger,” Calvin said. “In fact, I think it is our opportunity to have a mini-CSU (California State University) here in our county.”

If approved by voters, the University Center would cater to students who received a two-year degree through local community colleges who then stay in the region to complete their Bachelor’s degree.

It would also allow College of the Sequoias to expand on its $5 million investment to "improve and expand access to affordable, quality education and job training" within the community.

Multiple community entities voiced their support for Measure C – a project estimated to take more than five years to complete – including the Visalia City Council members, who unanimously endorsed the bond earlier this year.

“We need to get a four-year school here,” outgoing Councilman Greg Collins said during an Oct. 3 board meeting. “It is nice to potentially have those degrees in our backyard.”

Those in support of the bond argue the area is in desperate need of local higher education options.

Tulare County is the second-largest county in the state without a four-year university and is ranked as the second lowest region in the state for bachelor's degree attainment of individuals over 25, around 15%, according to the American Community Survey 2020 data.

Midterm election results continue to roll in, including College of the Sequoias’ Measure C. Wednesday night’s post-election results show 55.41% of voters support Measure C, while 44.59% do not. In order to pass, the bond needs at least 55% voter support.
Midterm election results continue to roll in, including College of the Sequoias’ Measure C. Wednesday night’s post-election results show 55.41% of voters support Measure C, while 44.59% do not. In order to pass, the bond needs at least 55% voter support.

The county does have a few options for students, including College of the Sequoias, a community college, and San Joaquin Valley College, a private career college.

College of the Sequoias also offers its students a unique opportunity through its partnership with Fresno State. The partnership established the Fresno State South Valley Campus in Visalia, near South Mooney Boulevard and Tulare Avenue on the southeast corner of campus.

It is one of the reasons College of Sequoias proposed Measure C.

“Our partnership with Fresno State has demonstrated the great demand for local access to four-year degrees,” College of the Sequoias President Brent Calvin said. “To remain competitive moving forward, it is important for us as a region to meet this demand.”

The repurposed building, once a child development center, will provide students with bachelor's degree programs across multiple majors, including Business, Integrated Teacher Education, Nursing, Criminology, and Ag Business, starting in fall 2023.

Measure C would allow COS to partner with more universities, like Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University and Vanguard University. Ultimately, Calvin said the college would like to offer 12-13 different degree programs for COS students to choose from.

Midterm election results continue to roll in, including College of the Sequoias’ Measure C. Wednesday night’s post-election results show 55.41% of voters support Measure C, while 44.59% do not. In order to pass, the bond needs at least 55% voter support.
Midterm election results continue to roll in, including College of the Sequoias’ Measure C. Wednesday night’s post-election results show 55.41% of voters support Measure C, while 44.59% do not. In order to pass, the bond needs at least 55% voter support.

If approved, the bond will cost School Facility Improvement District #2 (Visalia, Culter-Orosi, Farmersville, Exeter and Woodlake Unified School Districts) property owners around $13 each year per $100,000 of assessed value.

Lauren Jennings is a reporter for the Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register. Follow her on Twitter @lolojennings. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Measure C support stays above 55% following first post-election count