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Board approves center status for Mt. San Jacinto—s Temecula Valley site and Palomar—s Rancho Bernardo center
Summary
The Board of Governors approved two center status requests: Mount San Jacinto Community College District—s Temecula Valley Center (repurposed Abbott Industries complex) and Palomar College—s Rancho Bernardo Education Center. Both districts described enrollments, program focus and community outreach; motions passed on roll-call votes.
The Board of Governors voted to approve two separate center-status items at its Jan. 14 meeting.
Mount San Jacinto Community College District (presented by Superintendent-President Roger Schultz) sought full center status for the Temecula Valley Center. Schultz said the district repurposed a 365,000-square-foot former Abbott Industries complex, which opened classes in 2020; the project included roughly $110 million in acquisition and DSA improvements and is now serving a growing STEM-focused student population in southwest Riverside County. He described facility features (veteran centers, LRC, labs), student support services (added financial aid capacity, veteran center, LRC tutoring) and enrollment growth that exceeded pre-COVID levels.
Palomar Community College District (presented by Superintendent-President Dr. Star Rivera Lacey) described the Rancho Bernardo Education Center, established in 2018 and funded through local measures (Prop M). Palomar said the center served over 2,500 students in 2023-24 and offers STEM, architectural drafting, design and workforce-aligned programs; the district described the center as financially self-sustaining and noted partnerships (Poway Unified middle college).
After board questions about curriculum focus, demographic trends and facilities, the board voted by roll call to approve each center status request. Public comment included support from League of California Community Colleges leadership. The motions carried and the clerk recorded unanimous "Aye" votes.
