COLLEGE DELAYS BOND VOTE $118.5 MILLION ISSUE LIKELY FOR '03 BALLOT.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Antelope Valley College officials said Friday they will wait until 2003 to put a bond measure before voters instead of trying for this November.

They said they need time to prepare for a major ballot measure.

``It's logistics and marketing,'' AVC board President Michael Adams said of waiting until 2003. ``It's just too short of a time-frame between now and November.''

Waiting until March 2003 will allow AVC officials time to update a college facilities master plan and to conduct marketing to educate the public about the college, officials said. Waiting will also allow time for the college to focus on getting its new Palmdale classrooms open this fall.

AVC officials are looking at a $118.5 million bond issue done in four stages over a 10-year period. That amount was based on the college's priority list for construction projects and includes about $40 million to establish the first phase of a Palmdale campus, a project that has been on hold because of a lack of funding.

The exact amount of the bond might change as work on the facilities master plan is completed, AVC officials said.

The bond is needed, AVC officials said, because they are being pushed by enrollment growth and changes in state rules that give districts with local financing an advantage in getting state construction made.

Antelope Valley College is experiencing growth from two sources - the so-called ``Tidal Wave II'' phenomenon, in which the children of the baby boom generation are pouring into public schools, and from the fact the Antelope Valley holds a huge portion of the undeveloped land in Los Angeles County, making it the likely point of future growth.

Spring enrollment at the school shot to 12,000 students, up 1,000 students from last year.

Even if a statewide higher education bond measure is approved by California voters in the future, AVC officials say it is unlikely the school will receive any of that money unless there is a local funding.

The state Chancellor's Office estimates there are $16 billion in unmet needs in the state's community college system and that, at the most, it will be able to meet about 25 percent of that need.

Under new state rules, projects seeking funding will be graded on a 200- point system, with up to 50 points being awarded if there is local funding. The rest of the points will be based on factors such as available space, enrollment growth and future needs.

Community college districts throughout the state are looking at similar actions. Last year, five districts had bond issues pass, including a $1.2 billion bond by the Los Angeles Community College District.