State grants will supplement funds
EUGENE, Ore.—Voters said yes to Lane Community College in the May 19 special election, passing a $121 million bond request to fund facilities repairs and improvements.
“I want to thank every community member who voted,” said President Margaret Hamilton on election night. “The passing of this bond shows that our community needs and supports the critical services that Lane provides.”
“This is an unprecedented time of uncertainty, job loss and economic impact,” she added in reference to the pandemic. “LCC will be here to help the community come out of this difficult time, with career technical education, job retraining and two-year transfer degrees.”
Hamilton said she was humbled and grateful. She acknowledged the work of the dozens of people who worked on the bond including campaign co-chairs Mandy Jones, retired credit union executive, and State Representative Marty Wilde. She also thanked the Lane Board of Education, local and state elected officials, community partners, businesses, labor organizations, students, and citizens.
The bond qualifies Lane for an $8 million matching capital improvement grant from the state for a new building for health and dental programs. On Wednesday, the state awarded Lane an additional $2.5 million seismic rehabilitation grant.
Voters have never said no to an LCC bond request in its 55-year history, beginning with the 1966 bond to build main campus, followed by 1995 and 2008 requests to upgrade and improve facilities districtwide, from Florence to Cottage Grove. Lane was founded in 1964.
Hamilton is Lane’s seventh president. She joined the college in July 2017.
For more information about Lane Community College:
Lane is an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabilities Employer
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Lane Community College educates over 25,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $850 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 13,000 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.