Community colleges seek to overcome past history

Dr. Melissa Moreno, the district’s current chief executive, is hopeful that generous county taxpayers who fund the district’s operations are in a forgiving mood in spite of worrisome history.

That’s because the district is preparing to ask those same taxpayers to extend an existing construction bond beyond its listed end date. The proposal would add a whopping $848 billion to the current package. Borrowing costs would balloon the total to well over $1 billion over time.

It is her view that her leadership, along with the guidance of the district’s Board of Trustees (only one of whom, Richard Holober, was a member of that body when Galatolo was in charge) and administrators, will right the district ship.

“We are doing the right things,” she offered recently. “We need a complete overhaul. We are holding people accountable.”

One key change, she said, is the use of an internal auditor, a position designed to keep very close tabs on district (taxpayers’) money and how it is spent.

Even so, the considerable residue of Galatolo’s 18-year tenure continues to crop up. For example, there is the matter of district legal fees connected to his time as the district’s chief executive.

Moreno, who offered that she has never met or spoken with Galatolo at any time, was the president of Skyline College, a district campus in San Bruno, when she was named interim chancellor in 2023. The “interim” tag was later removed.

She has pledged transparency for district constituents who foot the bills for what it is the largest public education operation in the county by far.

She provided 10-year data showing the district has expended just over $21.5 million on legal matters, beginning in 2016-17. The bulk of those expenditures are related to the Galatolo affair, she agreed.

During a lengthy trial, Galatolo was found guilty of felony charges involving perjury and filing false tax statements but, in the end, the jury was split on specific district-related issues. A retrial on those matters has been ruled out by the county’s district attorney. Sentencing for those convictions is still to come.

The interminable drumbeat of negative Galatolo-linked publicity in all regards has dogged Moreno and her trustees and colleagues who desire a fresh start.

Making matters even less pleasant, though, is the prospect of a strike by unionized district instructors. Such an action would not benefit the district’s image at the same time that the bond extension is on the table. Negotiations continue.

Still, according to Moreno, fresh polling results indicate those who responded indicated a 64% generally favorable view of a bond extension, even when the district’s well-documented troubles were included in the materials.

If a new bond measure does head to a future ballot and if it’s approved by county voters, it would mark another in a series financial packages for capital improvements over two-plus decades. The prior measures have a combined value of more than $1 billion, according to district documents.

A bond measure would require at least 55% voter approval if it’s on a general election ballot.

District trustees have been targeting this coming November’s general election for a bond extension.

COLLEGE DISTRICT FACTS, FIGURES:

• Founded in 1922 with debut of San Mateo Junior College.

• Three campuses, Cañada College in Redwood City, College of San Mateo, Skyline College in San Bruno.

• 31,000 total students.

• 14,200 first generation students.

• 2,174 total employees.

• 1,048 full-time employees.

• Three public employee unions.

• $178.7 million budget for employee wages.

• $68.1 million budget for employee benefits.

• $527.9 million total budget, embracing spending in all categories.

(All above data based on the 2023-24 academic year provided via the district’s website as of March 21, 2026).

PAUL WELLS DIES AT AGE 86: Paul Wells, a former biology professor at both Cañada and Skyline colleges for over 40 productive years, passed away last month at the age of 86. A Berkeley native, he had lived at the Woodlake condominium complex in San Mateo for many years. During his college career at U.C. Berkeley early in the 1960s, he was an all-American tennis player. He became a successful, longtime tennis coach at both Cañada and Skyline later on as well. He was honored as the California Community College Tennis Coach of the Year in 2002.