Proposition 55, a March ballot measure that would provide $12.3 billion in bond money for California schools, is an important factor in the plan to expand Santa Rosa Junior College's Petaluma campus, officials say.

If the initiative passes, construction could begin on time in 2005. If the measure fails, SRJC would have to wait until another school facilities bond measure is on the ballot in 2006, according to Curt Groninga, the school's vice president of administrative services.

Plans for the expansion include adding 125,000 square feet of indoor space to the facility, currently 70,000 square feet. The additions include a new library five times the size of the present one, more classrooms, fully-equipped science labs and offices for student activities, student services, health services and faculty. The bookstore will double in size, the food services area will be larger and there will be a 10,000-square-foot physical education facility. Mahoney Library will be converted into a 299-seat lecture hall.

Passage of Prop. 55 would provide $38 million for the expansion that would triple the size of the Petaluma facility and allow the school to serve twice as many students.

Groninga has said the expansion would turn the Petaluma campus into a full-service school, where students can take all the classes they need to earn a two-year associate of arts degree. Currently students seeking a degree have to go to the Santa Rosa campus for some of their courses.

The expansion is expected to cost about $40 million, and $10 million of that would come from Measure A, a local bond measure that voters passed two years ago to fund improvements at SRJC.

Groninga said the state has already approved the use of the $28 million for the campus construction, but allocation of the money depends upon the passage of a schools facilities bond.

Prop. 55 would provide $10 billion for construction and renovation of K-12 public schools and $2.3 billion for higher education facilities -- community colleges, California state universities and the University of California system.