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November 2008 Community College
Districts Secure Funding
For Immediate Release
November 18, 2008
Contact:
John Fairbank;
Richard Maullin
(310) 828-1183
FMM&A Survey
Research Helps California
Community College Districts Secure Billions in Local Funding
in November 4th Election Despite Historic Economic Crisis
After the November 4th election the media
has focused on the Presidential contest and high profile statewide ballot
propositions, but an important story is not being reported. Despite an electoral environment with the
worst economic conditions in generations, California voters approved local
finance measures providing billions of dollars for California Community
College Districts. Many are
wondering how these measures passed as the economy moved toward a
recession, banks failed, unemployment rates rose, a home foreclosure crisis
worsened, and millions saw retirement savings wiped out after the stock
market plummeted?
For over 25 years, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin &
Associates (FMM&A) a public opinion
research firm specializing in passing local finance measures, has helped
California’s Community Colleges secure funding for upgrades and
construction to improve the quality of education they provide. The November 4th election once
again demonstrates that FMM&A continues to be the
industry leader as 100 percent of our community college clients
successfully passed their bond measures, raising $4 billion. This includes helping the Los Angeles
Community College District (LACCD) pass its third bond measure, raising
nearly $5.7 billion since 2001.
In total, FMM&A research services and
strategic consulting has helped California’s Community College
Districts secure nearly $14 billion through local finance measures since
1992. By using a foundation of
public opinion research with a proven track record of success, FMM&A has been able to work
with California’s community colleges to craft ballot measures that
obtain voter approval despite adverse external factors, including the
current economic turmoil. FMM&A research on community
colleges continues to show that voters regard these local institutions as
essential for several reasons.
· Public Safety – Community colleges are essential to local
public safety as they are primary sources for training local police
officers, firefighters, paramedics and nurses.
· Quality Affordable Education – The increasing cost of
four-year colleges and universities has more Californians looking to their
community college for a high quality education that allows them to earn
credits at an affordable cost and transfer to a four-year university.
· Career Training – In a highly competitive job market,
community colleges are increasingly seen as offering valuable career
development programs to help local workers seek to upgrade their skills,
retrain, or earn certificates that will help them get better paying jobs.
Understanding that every community is unique, FMM&A specifically tailors
its research to each community college.
For example, in this election cycle all of our community college
clients were seeking a second or even third general obligation bond measure
and our research helped these Districts effectively communicate why
additional funding was needed.
Additionally, unique aspects of our research included as the
emerging “green industry” continues to grow and community colleges
seek to emphasize energy efficiency, FMM&A’s research is
helping community colleges communicate to the public how a local finance
measure can help train workers for this new sector of the economy and
reduce energy costs to save taxpayer dollars. As part of our research, FMM&A helped LACCD develop
messaging on the use of solar panels to become energy independent,
environmentally-friendly building practices, water recycling and the
reduction of carbon emissions. For
Mt. San Antonio Community College research, FMM&A helped the college
understand and target its messaging to a diverse electorate that includes
conservative voters and a rapidly growing Latino population.
In addition to securing revenue through ballot
measures, FMM&A is working with California’s community
colleges to improve recruitment and enrollment by conducting research to
better understand which programs prospective students are most
interested. Our firm’s
research services are serving as the basis for community colleges to
develop outreach and media communications programs to educate the public
about the opportunities local community colleges provide and attract
students to their campuses. FMM&A recently conducted this
type of research for LACCD, and within the first several months of the
outreach programs enrollment at the district’s nine colleges has
increased significantly.
Whether your goal is to pursue funding through a
ballot measure; better understand the needs and priorities of the
community; increase the public’s awareness of the college and/or
specific programs to prospective students; or create outreach programs to
improve recruitment and enrollment, FMM&A has the experience and record
to design and implement an effective research program. If you are interested in obtaining
additional information about FMM&A please contact John Fairbank at
(310) 828-1183 or via email at John@fmma.com
or Dave Metz
at 510-451-9521 or via email at Dave@fmma.com. Our firm takes great pride in working
with California’s Community College Districts and we would welcome
the opportunity to discuss how public opinion research can benefit your
district.
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The following is a list of FMM&A community college
district clients that have passed local finance measures:
November 2008:
Los
Angeles CCD $3.5
billion
Mt. San Antonio CCD $350 million
Southwestern CCD $389 million
November 2006:
College
of the Canyons $160 million
College
of the Sequoias $22 million
Southwestern
CCD $870 million
November 2004:
Yosemite
CCD $326
million
West
Valley Mission CCD $235 million
Chabot-Las
Positas CCD $498 million
Gavilan
Joint CCD $108
million
Rio Hondo CCD $245
million
San Joaquin Delta CCD $300
million
May 2003:
Los Angeles CD $22 million
November 2002:
Coast
CCD $370
million
Compton
CCD $100
million
San
Diego CCD $685
million
El
Camino CCD $394.5
million
Grossmont-Cuyamaca
CCD $207 million
Hartnell
CCD $131
million
Kern
CCD $180
million
Napa
Valley CCD $133.8
million
Rancho
Santiago CCD $337 million
State
Center CCD $161
million
March 2002:
Butte-Glenn CCD $84.9
million
Contra Costa CCD $100
million
Fremont-Newark
CCD $150 million
Glendale
CCD $251
million
Sonoma
County CCD $160 million
April 2001:
Los
Angeles CCD $1.2
billion
November 2000:
Southwestern
CCD $89.3 million
November 1992:
Santa
Monica CCD $23
million
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