The hard work of Building Healthy Communities South Kern’s Education Action Team is paying off. Last month, the Kern Community College District (KCCD) voted to place a $502 million bond measure on the November ballot. The bond includes $25 million for an outreach facility to serve the communities of South Kern.
BHC-SK partners held a press conference last month and spoke during the public comment session of the KCCD board meetings. The team spoke about the need for higher education in Arvin and youth shared personal stories about the obstacles they face to achieve higher education.
“Transportation to Bakersfield College should not be an obstacle, but it is such a big obstacle for Arvin, Lamont, and Weedpatch residents,” said Yesenia Aguilar, 17, a junior at Arvin High School and a youth journalist for South Kern Sol.
Arvin and Lamont’s poverty level is almost twice the State’s average, and only 2 percent of the population hold a Bachelor’s degree, the State average is 30 percent.
“There is a real need to have an uplift in adult education in [Arvin],” said Dr. Michelle McLean, Arvin Union School District’s Superintendent. “Whenever members of the community are educated and receive a higher education, its benefiting the whole community, its benefiting our county, its benefiting our State, its benefiting our nation.”
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