Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I’m writing to you today not just as the chairwoman of the Yes on G – Affordable, Safe Colleges for All campaign, but as someone who has seen firsthand — through my service on the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee — what smart, accountable investment our local community colleges are for our community.

Serving on the oversight committee gave me a window into how bond dollars actually work. I watched every expenditure, reviewed the audits, and saw the results with my own eyes:

  •   Modernized classrooms
  •   Safer facilities
  •   Students getting the hands-on training they need to build real careers

That experience is exactly why I’m so passionate about Measure G. I know what’s possible when a community comes together and invests in its future — and I know that every dollar will be spent responsibly.

Here in Contra Costa County, our community colleges are the backbone of opportunity. Nearly 50,000 students walk through the doors of Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, and Los Medanos College every year. They’re studying to become:

  • Nurses, firefighters, paramedics, and skilled tradespeople — the very people we all depend on
  • Working parents going back to school
  • Young people taking their first steps toward a degree they can afford

But many of the buildings where they learn are aging. Labs don’t meet modern safety or training standards. Classrooms need updating to match today’s workforce demands. Our students deserve better, and so do the communities they’ll go on to serve.

That’s what Measure G is about. It’s a local investment — every dollar stays right here in Contra Costa County — to:

  • Modernize our campuses
  • Protect affordable access to education
  • Strengthen career training programs that feed directly into good-paying jobs

And it comes with the same strict accountability I helped enforce on the oversight committee: independent audits, transparent reporting, and a citizen oversight committee to make sure funds are spent exactly as promised.

I believe in Measure G because I’ve seen our community colleges work. I’ve seen the difference it makes when a nursing student trains in a properly equipped lab, or when a fire science program has the facilities it needs to prepare the next generation of first responders. These aren’t abstract improvements — they’re investments in real people and the safety and well-being of every family in our county.

Contra Costa’s community colleges support nearly one out of every 25 local jobs and contribute billions to our economy each year. When we invest in them, we’re investing in all of us.

I hope you’ll join me in voting Yes on Measure G this June. Together, we can make sure that affordable, high-quality education remains within reach for every student in our community — today and for generations to come.

With hope and gratitude,

Elaine Schroth

Campaign Chairwoman, Yes on G – Affordable, Safe Colleges for All
Past Chair, Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee