Propositions R/Z/SW

Southwestern Community College District’s Bond Program manages voter-authorized capital funding and coordinates the planning, design, procurement, construction, financial controls, reporting, and closeout needed to deliver eligible facility improvements.

Proposition R

Voters authorized the District’s first major modern facilities program—supporting construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, furnishing, equipping, and related facility needs. 

• Math & Science and Wellness Center investments
• National City classrooms and technology
• Campus utilities, access, safety, and infrastructure

Proposition Z

Proposition Z continued the long-range program with new and renewed facilities that support instruction, public safety, student life, and campus operations.

• Performing Arts and Public Safety Training facilities
• Student Union and Instructional Complex investments
• Campus police, infrastructure, and support facilities

Proposition SW

Proposition SW expands locally controlled funding for repairs, technology, accessibility, safety, infrastructure, and modern learning environments across the District.

• Job-training classrooms, labs, and technology
• Roofs, HVAC, plumbing, utilities, and hazardous-material removal
• Accessibility, security, emergency systems, and campus renewal

Each measure carries its own voter-approved purposes and accounting. A project may use one or more authorized sources, but every charge must be traceable to an eligible purpose.

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Bond funding creates the opportunity to deliver major capital improvements. Program controls turn that opportunity into prioritized, compliant, buildable projects that serve students and withstand public and audit review.

Student opportunity

Modern classrooms, labs, technology, and student-support spaces strengthen career preparation, transfer pathways, and the day-to-day learning experience.

Safe, accessible campuses

Capital investment addresses aging infrastructure, accessibility, utilities, building systems, security, and other conditions that exceed routine maintenance.

Long-range stewardship

A coordinated program sequences projects, funding, design, procurement, and construction so individual decisions support the District’s broader facilities vision.

Public accountability

Clear approvals, competitive procurement, financial controls, complete records, independent audits, and citizen oversight protect the voter-approved purpose of the funds.

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Bond Program Management - Program Planning & Controls

Turns District priorities into a coordinated portfolio and keeps leadership informed across projects.

When to engage:

Active from program planning through final reporting; most visible when priorities, budgets, schedules, or risks require alignment.

What this workstream protects:

• Maintain program priorities, budgets, schedules, risks, and reporting
• Coordinate District leaders, campuses, consultants, and project teams
• Escalate decisions early and preserve a defensible audit trail

Project Management - Project Definition & Delivery

Owns the project-specific decisions that turn a campus need into a buildable, operable solution.

When to engage:

Engages when a need is identified and remains involved through design, procurement, construction, turnover, and closeout.

What this workstream protects:

• Confirm scope, user needs, schedule, logistics, constraints, and owner expectations
• Coordinate design reviews, estimates, operations, and stakeholder decisions
• Manage day-to-day progress, risks, changes, turnover, and closeout

Contracts & Procurement - Fair Competition & Contracting

Builds and administers a transparent path from approved requirements to an enforceable agreement.

When to engage:

Engage before the procurement schedule is promised or the scope goes to market—not after the solicitation package is considered finished.

What this workstream protects:

• Select the solicitation approach and develop the procurement schedule
• Prepare, advertise, and administer solicitations, Q&A, addenda, and evaluations
• Route awards, contracts, amendments, compliance records, and Board items

Architectural Services and Technical Partners - Design & Technical Assurance

Translate program needs into coordinated drawings, specifications, estimates, and agency-ready documents.

When to engage:

Engages during programming and design, supports solicitation development and evaluation, and continues through construction and record documents.

What this workstream protects:

• Develop and coordinate the design and technical requirements
• Address codes, constructability, phasing, existing conditions, and agency review
• Support procurement, submittals, RFIs, field decisions, and record documents

Construction Management and the Awarded Contractor - Construction Delivery & Controls

Converts the contract documents into safe, quality work while controlling cost, schedule, and disruption.

When to engage:

Engage early enough to review constructability and logistics, then lead field controls from mobilization through turnover and warranty transition.

What this workstream protects:

• Plan mobilization, safety, logistics, schedule, and campus coordination
• Manage submittals, RFIs, inspections, quality, payments, and change controls
• Complete testing, punch work, training, turnover, and warranty transition

District Leadership, Finance, Governing Board, and Independent Oversight - Governance & Stewardship

Confirms public funds remain aligned with voter authorization, District approvals, and accountability requirements.

When to engage:

Operates throughout the program, with formal touchpoints at funding decisions, solicitations, awards, major changes, reporting, audits, and closeout.

What this workstream protects:

• Authorize priorities, funding, solicitations, awards, and major changes as required
• Maintain financial controls, public records, reporting, and annual audits
• Support Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee review and public transparency

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Planning - Identify the need

Connect a facilities problem or opportunity to the District’s educational and facilities vision.

What happens here:

• Document the need, users, existing conditions, urgency, and intended student benefit
• Confirm alignment with District plans and competing program priorities
• Establish an initial sponsor, stakeholders, and decision path

Who leads:

• District Sponsor + Program and Project Management

Gate to advance:

• District direction to develop the project

Definition - Define & Authorize

Create a realistic project brief before design effort or market activity begins.

What happens here:

• Define scope, exclusions, budget, funding source, schedule, risks, and success measures
• Select the delivery and procurement strategy appropriate to the work
• Identify approvals, Board timing, agency requirements, and operational constraints

Who leads:

• District leadership + Program, Project, Finance, and Procurement

Gate to advance:

• Approved scope, budget, strategy, and schedule

Design - Design & Validate

Turn approved needs into coordinated documents the District can price, permit, procure, and build.

What happens here:

• Advance programming, design, estimates, phasing, and constructability reviews
• Resolve accessibility, code, utility, site, safety, and campus-operation requirements
• Complete stakeholder reviews and applicable agency submissions

Who leads:

• Project Management + Architectural Services and technical partners

Gate to advance:

• District-accepted, procurement-ready technical package

Procurement - Prepare procurement

Translate approved project requirements into a fair, clear, and enforceable solicitation.

What happens here:

• Use current District forms and incorporate project-specific scope, schedule, logistics, and risks
• Confirm evaluation criteria, contract terms, insurance, labor, and compliance requirements
• Complete project-team content review and obtain approval to advertise

Who leads:

• Contracts & Procurement, with Project and technical-team review

Gate to advance:

• District approval to release the solicitation

Solicitation - Compete & select

Give the market consistent information and document an objective selection or bid result.

What happens here:

• Advertise through PlanetBids and manage conferences, site visits, Q&A, and addenda
• Review responsiveness and conduct the stated evaluation or bid process
• Document the recommendation, approvals, notice, and award record

Who leads:

• Contracts & Procurement + evaluation committee or bid team

Gate to advance:

• Authorized award and completed selection record

Award - Contract & Mobilize

Complete the agreement and verify the project is ready to begin—administratively and operationally.

What happens here:

• Finalize the agreement, bonds, insurance, labor compliance, and required approvals
• Confirm baseline schedule, submittal plan, safety, logistics, access, and communications
• Issue the appropriate notice to proceed only after prerequisites are satisfied

Who leads:

Contracts, Project and Construction Management + awarded firm

Gate to advance:

• Fully authorized contract and documented notice to proceed

Construction - Build & Control

Deliver the approved work while protecting safety, quality, public funds, and campus operations.

What happens here:

• Manage schedule, inspections, quality, submittals, RFIs, payments, and changes
• Coordinate shutdowns, access, occupied-campus impacts, stakeholders, and public notices
• Report cost, schedule, risk, decisions, and corrective action

Who leads:

• Project and Construction Management + contractor and design team

Gate to advance:

• Substantial completion and readiness for turnover

Closeout - Close, Occupy & Learn

Finish every contractual, operational, financial, and regulatory obligation—not just the visible work.

What happens here:

• Complete punch work, testing, training, warranties, record documents, and agency closeout
• Reconcile contracts and budgets; archive the complete project record
• Transition to operations, monitor warranty issues, and capture lessons learned

Who leads:

• Project Management + District operations, Contracts, Finance, and project partners

Gate to advance:

• Accepted facility, closed contracts, and complete records

Controls active at every phase:

• Scope
• Budget
• Schedule
• Compliance
• Communication
• Documentation

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Stay Connected with Southwestern Community College District Procurement.

View Doing Business with Southwestern Community College District↗

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Active projects and renderings
Explore published information and visual materials for active and completed Bond Program projects.

Open the project directory ↗

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Financial and performance audits
Access the District’s published independent financial and performance audit reports for bond funds.

Review audit reports ↗

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Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee
Find CBOC information, meeting access, agendas, minutes, members, and oversight resources.

Visit the CBOC page ↗

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Facilities Vision Plan
See the long-range facilities planning framework that helps inform campus and infrastructure priorities.

View the Facilities Vision Plan ↗

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Bid information and results
Access the District’s published Bond Program bid information and available bid-result resources.

View bid and plan information ↗

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View Facilities, Operations & Planning ↗

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Bond proceeds must be used for the capital purposes authorized by voters, such as construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, furnishing, equipping, technology, infrastructure, accessibility, and other eligible facility improvements. Each expenditure must be traceable to an authorized purpose.

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No. Voter authorization establishes a borrowing limit and approved purposes. Bonds may be issued in stages, and projects proceed through District prioritization, budgeting, design, procurement, approval, delivery, and audit controls.

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The District uses the procurement method appropriate to the work and applicable requirements. Opportunities are publicly posted, firms receive consistent solicitation information, and selections or bid results are documented under the stated process.

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Accountability includes District financial controls, Governing Board actions where required, public reporting, annual independent financial and performance audits, and review by the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee.

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Use the public resources and vendor sections on this page. They link to SWCCD’s official project directory, bond-program status information, audits, oversight resources, bid information, and PlanetBids vendor portal.

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You may contact the applicable District office or submit a public records request. Southwestern College recognizes the public’s right to reasonable access to public records within the requirements of law. Public records requests may be emailed to swcpra@swccd.edu.

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