The California State University Board of Trustees approved a $407 million annual state funding request to tackle a $9 billion maintenance backlog.
CSU Channel Islands in Camarillo is among the campuses that stand to benefit. The university sits on the site of the former Camarillo State Hospital, where the first buildings were constructed in 1934. Some of those core structures are more than 90 years old. CSUCI opened in 2002 as the 23rd campus in the CSU system.
The board voted Wednesday, Sept. 23, to include the request in CSU's 2027-28 operating budget plan, as first reported by EdSource. One-third of all CSU facilities and 20% of its science buildings are more than 60 years old, staff told the board.
The backlog has ballooned. From 2017-18 to 2022-23, it grew by $2.4 billion, a 60% increase, according to a Legislative Analyst's Office report.
Under the proposal, the state would invest $407 million per year for three years, matched by CSU, for a total of $3.3 billion toward facility needs. The request still must be approved by the California Legislature.
Mark Martin, CSU's assistant vice chancellor for budget planning and advocacy, warned the problem will worsen without action. He presented projections showing the backlog could top $11 billion by 2029-30. The system's five-year capital outlay plan identifies roughly $28 billion in needs, according to the board's finance committee agenda.
CSU Chancellor Mildred García said deferred maintenance costs are growing by about $400 million each year.
Trustee Jack McGrory called the backlog "an urgent threat" and asked staff to evaluate alternatives, including a constitutional amendment that could let CSU put a facilities bond directly before statewide voters. Trustee Larry Adamson questioned whether $407 million annually would be enough, arguing it would only prevent the backlog from growing rather than shrink it.
Student trustee Jackson Martinez said updating facilities is a top priority for students. He pointed to the lack of air conditioning in some buildings in warmer parts of California.
"I experienced the same thing at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It got up to 100 and we had classrooms where I was sweating my head off," Martinez said at the Sept. 23 meeting.
The 2023 Legislative Analyst's Office report found San José State University had the highest capital renewal needs in the system. That report estimated CSU's backlog at $6.5 billion at the time, meaning it has grown by at least $2.5 billion in roughly three years.
Trustee Julia Lopez proposed creating a trustee work group to develop recommendations. Chancellor García directed Martin and Vice Chancellor Greg Saks to co-lead the effort with Trustees Lopez, Mark Ghilarducci and McGrory and report back at the next board meeting.
