SDCCD awarded perfect score on School Bond Transparency report

SDCCD is one of 12 out of 23 districts scored to have an A+ ranking, with districts rated on the accessibility and timeliness of key reports and information on their bond programs, including lists of project descriptions, progress and itemized expenditures, oversight committee members, contact information and committee vacancies, posting of committee meetings and minutes, bond fund annual reports and annual audits, and archives of annual reports.

SDCCD has consistently scored among the top districts in the Transparency Scorecard, earning a perfect score in three of the past four years.

“The San Diego Community College District makes great efforts to ensure transparency,” said Constance M. Carroll, SDCCD Chancellor. “The detailed work of our Citizens’ Oversight Committee and our independent audits are part of our strategy to ensure transparency, accountability, and accessibility for the public.”

“We remain grateful to voters and taxpayers for having trust and confidence in the San Diego Community College District and approving Propositions S and N,” she added. “These bonds have allowed us to build for the future of education in San Diego while also investing in our local workforce.”

In its report, the Foundation cited SDCCD’s oversight committee as one of the “most transparent ICOCs as models for success” and that by following its methods for proper and timely dissemination of information, “new ICOCs can more easily establish themselves as transparent.”

“School bonds can be seen in nearly every election cycle, and for taxpayers to continue supporting these measures, we need to know school districts are fulfilling their promises,” says Haney Hong, president and CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. “Those who are open and transparent about their spending are in a better position to earn voters’ trust in the future.”

The $1.555 billion Propositions S and N construction bond program has provided for new state-of-the-art instructional and career training facilities, major renovations, and campuswide infrastructure projects at City, Mesa and Miramar colleges and seven Continuing Education campuses throughout San Diego. Projects include 36 new buildings, 18 major renovations, four expansion or additions, and approximately 60 infrastructure, parking, and public safety projects.

The final Propositions S and N building project is a new Child Development Center at City College, currently under construction and expected to be completed in at the end of June 2020. A few infrastructure projects are also underway and close to completion.

The bond program has also emphasized outreach to small and historically underutilized firms for construction contract opportunities. To date, nearly 1,400 contracts for Propositions S- and N-related work have been issued to firms certified as small, disadvantaged, minority-owned, woman-owned, or disabled veteran-owned, approximately 57% of all bond program contracts, totaling more than $363 million. The overwhelming majority of the contracts have gone to firms within San Diego County – typically averaging between 76-80% each year.