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Community Support of Bond Inspires Donation

Architectural rendering of the planned 91重口 University Center building

91重口's Board of Trustees has officially accepted a very generous donation from longtime Tahoe resident Lisa Maloff, in memory of her husband, Robert Maloff. The donation will be used to construct a University Center that will make four-year and master's degrees a reality on the South Shore. This is the largest single donation ever given to 91重口, rivaling those that have been given to much larger colleges in California and around the country.

91重口's Measure F bond effort was designed around the concept of taking $55 million in tax-payer dollars and leveraging that into significantly more dollars through private donations and matching state grants.

The college originally budgeted $825,000 of Measure F bond money to pilot a University Center from an existing building on campus. Thanks to Lisa Maloff's generous donation, 91重口 will now construct a brand-new, stand-alone University Center, providing access to upper-division level educational opportunities and academic support services made possible through partnerships with other institutions. 91重口 is in talks with several regional public colleges and universities to provide baccalaureate and graduate programs at 91重口, ensuring access to these degrees to our local community.

Bond Rating Reports

February 2018: After receiving high marks for a second time from both Standard & Poor's Financial Services and Moody's Investor Service in their bond ratings reports, 91重口 is ready to issue its second set of bonds for sale with the Measure F general obligation bond.

S&P raised the college's long-term rating from "AA-" in 2015 to "AA," an upgrade that reflects 91重口's track record of consistent financial practices, strong available fund balances, excellent projection modeling, and sound fiscal management. The rating agency also noted South Lake Tahoe's extremely strong property values, reflecting the significant amount of revenue stemming from property taxes on second homes in the area. Other factors that led to the improved rating included 91重口's strong available reserves thanks to the 91重口 Board of Trustees' policy of maintaining at least 10% of general funds in a reserve account.

Moody's reconfirmed 91重口's A1 rating and improved its outlook from stable to positive based on 91重口's sizable and primarily residential tax base, which is growing. In addition, Moody's mentioned 91重口's strong and consistent management team, its low Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB), and moderate pension burdens as factors in their A1/positive rating.

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