Pima Community College’s Proposition 430 Would Invest $250 Million in Workforce Training, Student Success and Aging Facilities

TUCSON, AZ. – Pima Community College is asking Pima County voters to consider Proposition 430, which would approve $250 million in general obligation bonds that would provide funding to modernize aging College facilities, expand workforce training opportunities, and improve student support and public safety infrastructure across PCC.

Proposition 430 will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot. It has been more than 30 years since PCC last asked voters for general obligation bond support.

Many PCC classrooms and laboratories were built in the 1970s and require modernization to keep pace with changes in technology, education and workforce needs. The proposed investments would create and improve hands-on learning environments in areas including first responders, cybersecurity, information technology, the arts, STEM and education.

“Proposition 430 is about investing in the future of Pima County and ensuring our community continues to have access to a best-in-class community college,” said Pima Community College Chancellor Jeffrey P. Nasse. “Education changes lives, whether through a certificate, a degree, or the skills needed for a better career. These investments would help us keep tuition affordable, modernize and maintain our campuses, and expand our Centers of Excellence with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. Most importantly, Proposition 430 would help us continue creating opportunities for our students, meeting the evolving workforce needs of Southern Arizona, and strengthening our community for generations to come.”

Proposition 430 would provide funding for six major areas:

• $39.8 million for Center of Excellence for First Responders and Public Safety
• $29 million for a safer Downtown Campus and police headquarters
• $27.3 million to renovate Student Support and Success Center
• $57 million to modernize and expand academic spaces, including Cyber/IT, Arts, STEM, and Education
• $58.9 million to update and improve infrastructure, facilities and IT
• $38 million to refinance revenue bonds and reduce future interest payments

The refinancing component is expected to save approximately $4 million annually.

Why the investment is needed

The Arizona legislature eliminated operations funding for Pima Community College in 2015, and prior to that eliminated regular capital funding in 2009. Since then, PCC has lost an estimated $221 million in state funding and now faces $56 million in necessary repairs and upgrades.

Without the bond funding, PCC would lack the resources to build new workforce training facilities, renovate aging facilities, and address accumulating deferred maintenance. The College would likely have to consider additional tuition and property tax increases, and/or assess the continuing viability of existing locations.

Impact on Southern Arizona

PCC has an estimated $1.3 billion annual impact on the local economy and supports 16,651 jobs — one in every 35 jobs in Pima County. Proposition 430 would build on that impact by expanding facilities that prepare students for careers in areas such as healthcare, public safety and the skilled trades.

Early voting begins Oct. 7, and Election Day is Nov. 3, 2026.

For more information about Proposition 430, visit pima.edu/prop430