The Brief

Nearly two years after California voters approved billions of dollars in bond money to repair aging schools, demand has outstripped the available funds.

In fact, by the time voters went to the polls on Election Day 2024 to cast a ballot on Proposition 2, schools had already submitted enough project applications to max out the proceeds dedicated for K-12 school modernization in that $10 billion bond.

“The backlog of need is so high that… districts that are applying now are gonna have to wait for some future bond measure,” said Sara Hinkley, who studies facilities funding at UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities + Schools.

With Proposition 2 funding out of reach for the vast majority of school projects that aren’t already underway, this year’s midterm elections offer districts another chance to seek support from local voters. But some advocates say the state’s school facilities funding formula needs to be overhauled entirely.

What is a bond?

The majority of the money California’s 10,000 schools receive from the state every year supports students, staff salaries and other day-to-day expenses.

So when districts need to fix a leaky roof, replace AC units, upgrade aging portable classrooms or swap asphalt with green space, they often rely on voters to approve new funding through statewide and local ballot measures.

First, at the statewide level, you have ballot measures such as 2024’s Proposition 2.

The passage of Proposition 2 authorized the sale of $10 billion in bonds (basically, loans) to be paid back — with interest — from the state’s general fund. California will pay about $500 million a year for 35 years to settle the debt, according to the Legislative Analyst’s office.

The legislation that put Proposition 2 on the ballot also outlined how the $10 billion bond would be divided:

• $1.5 billion for community college facilities
• $3.3 billion for new construction 
• $4 billion to modernize existing school facilities
• $600 million for charter school facilities 
• $600 million for facilities related to career and technical education 

Another thing Proposition 2 did was carve out pots of money for schools with fewer than 2,500 students, using up to 10% of the modernization fund and new construction fund — that's $730 million in total.

The money from Proposition 2 is distributed to school districts throughout the state in matching grants, meaning districts still bear a portion of the project cost.

To do this, school districts often ask voters to approve local bonds to raise money for renovations and new construction. The debt is paid back through property tax increases for a set period of time.

Who is involved in selecting a project? 

After the election, there are multiple steps before money from Proposition 2 can make its way to school construction and modernization projects.

First, California’s governor and legislature decide how many bonds will be sold each year to generate the money for school repairs and construction.

Meanwhile schools are:

• Identifying what needs to be fixed or built  
• Bringing projects to their bond oversight committee and the school board for approval 
• Submitting projects to two separate state agencies: 
  
  • The Division of the State Architect, which reviews compliance with structural, accessibility and safety codes.
  • The Department of Education, which reviews compliance with the state’s education code.

Once those agencies approve a project’s plans, a district can submit an application for funding to another state agency called the Office of Public School Construction for another round of review.

Then the State Allocation Board, which is made up of state employees, California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction and lawmakers, votes to fund the projects.

As of April 29, 2026, the board has allocated $1.3 billion for 325 different modernization and new construction projects — that’s 15% of the total value of Proposition 2 designated for K-12 schools.

Many of the schools waited years for funding; the majority submitted their applications in 2022 and several date to 2021.

Hinkley, with UC Berkeley, said it’s likely many of these projects were already completed and the districts will now be reimbursed, but that’s not the case with every district.

“If you can't afford to build it without state funds, obviously you're just sitting and waiting,” Hinkley said.

A select number of projects labeled “facility hardship” move through the pipeline faster than others. These projects are often related to natural disasters such as wildfires or seismic retrofits.

How are projects selected?

The board can also take action to move additional projects through the funding pipeline.

For example, as of March, there are 298 projects worth about $1.1 billion that have been board-approved, but have not yet been funded.

The board's agenda is also a window into the unmet need for school modernization funding because it includes a list of applications for projects that exceed the funding expected to be available through Proposition 2.

The “beyond bond authority” list includes 522 modernization projects worth $1.8 billion. The first application on this list was submitted Oct. 30, 2024, less than a week before the 2024 election.

“We don't have authority to even review applications that have come in when we don't have funding authorized for them,” said Rebecca Kirk,  executive officer for the Office of Public School Construction and the State Allocation Board. “And so we just place them on a list.”

Is bond funding equitable?

Not every district gets the same amount of funding to fix up their schools, nor is the money distributed based on need. Instead, research shows the existing facilities funding system favors larger, more affluent school districts.

That’s because proceeds from state bonds are distributed as matching grants — the amount of funding is limited by how much districts can first raise themselves and that, in turn, is limited by the property value in their district and voters' willingness to approve additional taxes on that property.

Brenda Rivera is an alumna of Lynwood Unified and now a teacher and parent in the district. She said one ongoing challenge is the district’s aging roofs and the rain.

“That's one thing you dread. Am I gonna come in and is my room gonna be wet?” Rivera said.

The district passed an $80 million bond in 2024. Rivera said she’s seen improvements including new paint and air-conditioning units, but that she still notices the disparities between her school and those in wealthier communities.

That’s why she joined a lawsuit filed last fall aimed at reforming how the state funds school repairs.

“I hope that we're able to even out the playing field,” Rivera said. “That our schools are something that people wanna attend.”

Public Advocates, the nonprofit firm behind the suit, is seeking to stop additional modernization funding from being distributed until the case is resolved and filed a motion in March requesting a preliminary injunction.

Alicia Virani, a senior staff attorney with the firm, said the goal is to change how the money from the current bond is distributed, not wait until a future ballot measure is passed.

“Our concern was that the low wealth districts that are facing asbestos in every classroom that are facing leaks, that are dealing with toxic mold, that they would have to wait another 10 years for any money to be distributed equitably,” Virani said.

There is a hearing in the case scheduled for May 20.

What about local bonds?

In 2024, voters approved more than $45 billion in local bond funds for K-12 schools and community colleges, including nearly $17 billion in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

The largest local bond in the state was Los Angeles Unified’s $9 billion Measure US.

The district’s head of facilities broke down the spending plan for the measure in a presentation to the committee that oversees bond spending in February.

Approximately $7.8 billion is designated for facilities, including school modernization, cafeteria upgrades and updates to early education centers. The remaining $1.2 billion is set aside for information technology upgrades, school buses and oversight.

The district committed $605 million to rebuild Marquez and Palisades Elementaries, as well as the partially damaged and independently operated Palisades Charter High School.

How to track your local district’s spending

State law lays out several accountability measures for local school district bonds including:

• Independent, annual performance audits of bond-funded projects and spending 
• The creation of an independent bond oversight committee that includes:
  
  • At least seven members
  • Representatives of the business community, taxpayers, and parents. School district employees, vendors, contractors, and consultants cannot be appointed. 

Search for your district’s bond oversight committee website to see upcoming agendas, summaries of past meetings, audits and other information about how the district has spent bond funding.

You can also ask your school district if they have a facilities master plan. This document is typically created with community input, over the course of months or years, to plan renovation and construction projects.

Southern California was built on radio.

"I can still hear the jingle KFWB News 98,” wrote  Taline in Los Feliz, during a recent conversation on LAist's daily news show, AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM. “I grew up hearing that in my dad's minivan on the way to and from school. It has a special place in my heart.”

Back in April, broadcast company Audacy announced KNX News — one of the last-remaining all-news FM stations — was leaving the FM dial where it had simulcast on 97.1 FM since 2021. The station, which is also one of the oldest in L.A., is not budging from 1070 AM where it has been on the air for more than 100 years. The move away from FM officially happened in May to make way for a new sports talk station, which Audacy officials called an area of growth for advertisers in today’s media landscape.

The move is one in a long line of changes for radio and a reminder that before podcasts, playlists and algorithms, many Southern Californians built their days around radio broadcasts.

Radio, a daily ritual

The construction of KNX

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Herman J. Schultheis

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Los Angeles Public Library

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Michael Jackson, a well-known KNX, personality

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Los Angeles Public Library

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Larry Mantle, now in his 41st year hosting AirTalk, remembers being a kid and dreaming of what it might be like to be behind the mic at one of these radio stations.

“ I grew up with KNX," he said. “My dream job as a kid was to be an anchor on KNX or KFWB, the two local all-news radio stations, 'cause there was nothing like hosting AirTalk that even existed at that point.”

Mantle opened up the phone lines on a recent show to hear from his fellow SoCal radio lovers about the shows they miss and the memories they have. Here's what they had to say:

A love for radio, then and now  

A pilot of KMPC's traffic alert helicopter pictured with his daughter and grandson.

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Los Angeles Public Library

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A 1963 picture of Valley State College (now Los Angeles Valley College) preparing to launch KVCM

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Larry Leach

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Los Angeles Public Library

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“When you'd walk down Hollywood Boulevard where the station was, you could hear it playing as you went down the street,” said  Olivia in Glendale about KLAC 570 with Al Jarvis.

 Larry in Yorba Linda shouted out KBCA Jazz for its 24-hour jazz, saying “When I first moved out here in '68 from Phoenix, which had like an hour a week, it was a real wonder.”

 Mark in Glassell Park emailed that he loves KCRW’s Henry Rollins, writing, “I used to bristle at his unique DJ persona, but over time, I came to love him and his crazy eclectic playlists. I find his knowledge in history and punk rock fascinating. He's a gem and a legend."

"I'd like to give a shout-out to all the DJs working at KXLU, the college station at Loyola Marymount University, said  Jeremy in Culver City in an email. “That station's been on the air for nearly 60 years. I believe it's one of the best examples of what's possible with radio."

"KFWB and KRLA back in the day when they were rock music stations —  Dr. Demento, one of my favorite on-air personalities, also had eclectic music taste," said  Carrie in Desert Edge.

“ Dr. Demento was must listening when I was a kid in junior high school at Le Conte Junior High in Hollywood,” Mantle added. “Every Sunday night on KMET, we would make sure we were listening to Dr. Demento and his funny records.”

The question remains…

An 11-year-old winning a car in a KMPC contest in 1963.

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Los Angeles Public Library

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Listener support is vital to any radio station, and it’s clear KNX has many lifelong fans. AirTalk listeners highlighted their support for household KNX names over the decades like Bill Keene, Melinda Lee, Mike Roy and Jackie Olden.

As KNX makes changes, many are watching closely and thinking about the future of radio.

Listeners like Tommy in La Quinta are left wondering if the radio dial will be the same…

“I’m a hardcore listener, but I don't know about casual listeners [and] if they'll tune to AM,” he said.

After months of hand-wringing, Los Angeles and LA28 have come to a tentative agreement on how Olympics organizers will reimburse the city for its expenses for the 2028 Summer Games.

According to the deal, the private Olympic organizing committee will pay upfront for the estimated cost of services that are not eligible for federal reimbursement, like trash pick-up and traffic control. Under another proposal, the city would also be able to tap an LA28 contingency fund if it isn't fully repaid by the federal government for policing costs at Olympic venues.

The agreement is nearly nine months overdue and still needs approval by Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council.

The 2028 Olympics are intended to be privately financed, and an existing city agreement with LA28 states that the Olympics organizers, not L.A., will pay for extra costs for public services in support of the Games. But L.A. is the financial back-stop for the Olympics, meaning if LA28 goes in the red, taxpayers will pick up the bill.

Beyond that, the city services agreement presents another area where L.A. could incur additional unexpected expenses for hosting the Games. L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez warned LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover earlier this year that a bad deal could "bankrupt" the city.

Jacie Prieto Lopez, an LA28 spokesperson, and Paul Krekorian, who leads the city's office of major events, said in statements that the freshly inked agreement would help deliver a fiscally responsible Games.

"Mayor Bass’ priority is that the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games be fiscally responsible, protect taxpayers, and benefit Angelenos for decades to come. This agreement helps deliver that commitment," Krekorian said.

But the contract between the two parties doesn't fully resolve one of the biggest areas of financial risk for the city: the enormous cost of security for an event as extensive and high-profile as the summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Organizers are counting on the federal government to pay for public safety at Olympic venues that are considered part of a "national special security event." That includes costs for LAPD staffing. LA28 has not included security costs in its $7.1 billion budget — a fact that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto criticized earlier this year.

The federal government has so far allocated $1 billion for security costs for the Olympics. Exactly where those federal funds will go has not yet been determined, and there's no guarantee they will cover all of L.A.'s policing costs.

To address this, city officials have also proposed an amendment to a 2021 agreement between the city and LA28. That amendment would establish that if L.A. is not reimbursed by the federal government for all its eligible expenses, it could dip into LA28's contingency fund of $270 million before the private organizing committee could use those funds for any legacy projects.

But that bucket of money will first be used for any costs that Olympics organizers still owe if they run out of revenue — meaning if the Olympics don't turn a profit, the city's access to that money will depend on how much is left for the taking.

Civil rights attorney Connie Rice, who has been tracking the city's negotiations with LA28, told LAist the agreement was a "PR document" not a deal. She pointed out that if the federal government does not pay up for security spending as expected, L.A. could be in trouble.

" It leaves the taxpayers with a GoFundMe strategy," she said.

The city services agreement lays the groundwork for more negotiations between LA28 and the city. Each venue will require its own agreement, to be negotiated by July 1, 2027. Venues in the city of L.A. include Dodger Stadium, the L.A. Convention Center, L.A. Memorial Coliseum and the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

The City Council's ad-hoc committee on the 2028 Games will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on the agreement.