Endorsement: Investment in community college facilities makes sense

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 19, 2022

If there ever was a time to invest in community colleges, it’s now. That’s why we are urging Portland area voters to support an extension of a construction bond for Portland Community College.

The school has facilities in four counties and is the state’s largest higher education institution, serving more than 50,000 students.

And yet, like almost all community colleges, it’s missing many of the financial tools available to four-year institutions.

There are no major sports programs that motivate deep-pocketed alumni to make donations. It lacks on-campus housing and a significant international student body — traditional sources of revenue for many universities. And its students tend to be poorer and more sensitive to tuition hikes.

So, every few years, PCC comes to voters to plead: Please tax yourselves to support our operations. This year, it’s a particularly compelling pitch.

Oregon is in the midst of a labor shortage. PCC notes that for every 10 open jobs, there are only seven unemployed Oregonians. PCC has always helped fill that gap with a variety of training programs, from employer-sponsored trade apprenticeships to programs placing graduates in high-demand jobs like nursing, dental hygiene, fire protection and veterinary technology.

The bond would support those programs and others by raising about $450 million over five years. The money would be spread over all the campuses, with big upgrade projects earmarked for Sylvania, in Portland, and Rock Creek, in Washington County.

Renovations would increase more options for hybrid learning, which is key to many students who are juggling jobs, child care and long campus commutes.

It would maintain the current rate of 38 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or about $8 per month for a $250,000 home. That’s a significant hit for many homeowners, but we think the payoff is worth it, particularly since it’s what they are paying already.