New State Report Says a CSU Campus In Stockton Isn’t Feasible

A new state report gives a thumbs down to the feasibility of a CSU campus in Stockton. The report looked at five possible sites in California but found future enrollment didn’t justify building a new campus.

The sites studied included San Mateo, Chula Vista, Concord, Palm Desert, and Stockton.

The criteria studied were minority representation, land availability, median income, and workforce needs. In that respect, Stockton was among the leading contenders with a median income of $20,000 below the state level, over 60% minority population, and only 17% of adults with a college degree versus 40% statewide.

Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs says the state has a responsibility to rectify that inequity.

“As a state, we really have to question ourselves and our values if the most diverse part of our state is the part that doesn’t have access to higher education but does have a prison hospital, does have a youth prison,” he said.

Tubbs says education itself may have to be reevaluated after COVID-19, but says the governor and legislature can act in spite of the report.