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A $10 billion bond alone won’t fix California schools so districts weigh local options
Summer roofing upgrades underway at Lynwood Unified's Abbott Elementary School. The district will ask voters to approve an $80 million bond in the fall to fund more repairs like this one.
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Courtesy Lynwood Unified School District
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California voters will decide whether to approve a $10 billion bond to repair and build schools this fall, but that money alone isn’t enough to fix every leaky roof.
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A $10 billion bond alone won’t fix California schools so districts weigh local options
Proposition 2 would replenish a pool of matching dollars that districts can request for new construction and repairs, but in order to tap that money, districts have to pass local bonds to pay part of the cost.
Los Angeles County districts have until August 9 to decide whether to ask local voters to approve bonds and parcel taxes.
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What kind of need is there?
Lynwood will ask voters to approve an $80 million bond in the fall. The southeast Los Angeles district estimates the property tax increase would be about $149 a year for a single-family home.
Voter-approved school funding defined
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Bond measure
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When voters approve a local school bond, it authorizes districts to borrow money to pay for big projects like repairs and construction. Residents pay back the loan and interest through an increase in property taxes. Local bonds need either a two-thirds or 55% vote to pass; the latter comes with increased accountability measures.
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Parcel tax
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Voters who approve a parcel tax agree to a predetermined tax on each parcel of property to fund school programs, typically not related to facilities upkeep. These measures require a two-thirds vote to pass.
“We are constantly trying to catch up and do the best to make sure that our students have safe, clean facilities at the very minimum,” said Superintendent Gudiel Crosthwaite. He said at least 45 classrooms leaked this winter, one elementary school lacks a permanent kitchen, and students with disabilities cannot access parts of some campuses.
The majority of California public school buildings are more than 25 years old. Lynwood has campuses that date to the 1920s.
“We need to take advantage of the potential matching funds that the state will offer because this doesn't happen regularly in California,” Crosthwaite said.
What’s next?
After the August 9 filing deadline, we’ll have a better idea of how many of the county’s 80 school districts will have bond measures on the ballot.
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Some districts, including Culver City Unified, passed bonds during March’s primary.
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