In 2009 the Temecula Redevelopment Agency (Agency) invested $3 million in a partnership with the Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD) and Cal State University San Marcos (CSUSM) to bring a university campus northward into Southwest Riverside County. During a time when the State of California was in severe fiscal crisis and funds for capital improvements to the California State University were being severely reduced, the RDA funded the construction and installation of classrooms and laboratory facilities at one of the TVUSD former elementary school sites.
 The Cal State University San Marcos Temecula Campus offers an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Master of Science in Nursing, Master in Educational Administration & Leadership, Teacher Credentialing, Osher Lifelong Learning, and Human Resource Management. The health care programs at the Temecula CSUSM campus will utilize hospitals and health care facilities in the Temecula areas for clinical training of the CSUSM students.
Between Temecula and Murrieta school districts, there are 25 California Distinguished Schools and some of the highest Academic Performance Index scores in Riverside County; all school sites exceed the exemplary mark of 800 on the cornerstone of California’s state-wide accountability system. This means that a high percentage of students are ready to continue their education to obtain a college degree. Graduating students from Temecula and Murrieta high schools now have an opportunity to achieve higher educational goals within the community in which they live, without having to incur the additional cost of commuting or finding housing near other university campuses. Developing an educated and skilled professional health care work force within the community for employers of a burgeoning industry in southwest Riverside County to draw upon is critical to the success of the growing demands of the health care industry.
 Investments by the Agency produce a “multiplier effect” on the local economy. Multiple rounds of spending are triggered by the infusion of new income into the community. Spending by CSUSM faculty, staff and students through goods and services from the surrounding businesses creates a total economic impact that is larger than the initial influx. When the impact of the higher paid jobs of CSUSM graduates is considered, the spending impact to the local and regional economy is $24 for every dollar invested. Simply put $3 million invested by the Temecula Redevelopment Agency results in $72 million in annual spending impact.
With the addition of higher education opportunities, the City of Temecula was named one of America’s top 100 places to live, according to Relcate-America.com, due to its award winning schools, higher education opportunities, outlook for growth and economic stability. The quality of life for City of Temecula residents and neighboring community members continues to improve through Redevelopment Agency investments.
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