School districts in the Santa Clarita Valley and around the state support Proposition 2, a statewide bond measure aimed at helping with building renovations and modernization, but not everyone believes in its efficiency. Not that there is.
According to official ballot language on the California Secretary of State’s website, the proposal would include “K-12 public schools (including charter schools), community colleges, improved health and safety conditions and classroom upgrades, etc.” Career Technical Education Program.”
Annual audits will be part of the funding process. Of the $10 billion available, $8.5 billion would go to K-12 public school districts and $1.5 billion to community college districts.
According to the Secretary of State, the proposal, if passed, would increase state spending by about $500 million a year over the next 35 years to pay down the national debt.
These funds are used to match whatever the district can provide for a particular project, and state bond funds are not the only source of funding for a project.
As of Wednesday, the boards of the William S. Hart Union High School District, Newhall School District, and Saugus Union School District had all passed resolutions supporting the proposal. The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees, which oversees College of the Canyons, also pledged support.
COC spokesman Eric Harnisch said there is an estimated $27.5 billion in unmet facility needs across the state and there is not enough funding in the state budget to meet those needs.
The university currently has about $95 million remaining in its Measure E bond fund for facility improvements or building new facilities, and Professor Harnisch said that if that money is already in hand, it could be used in a potential state bond fund. He said it would help strengthen the.
“If we can take advantage of state grants, we can expand what we can do with local grants,” Harnisch said in a phone interview Tuesday.
Since 2002, COC has received 11 state allocations and secured $66.4 million in state funding for various scheduled maintenance projects. The funds will be used for routine maintenance of the Performing Arts Center, Hasley Hall, Aliso Hall, Aliso Lab, East Athletic Building, and University Center.
Harnisch said if the proposal passes, projects such as advanced technology centers and student centers will be considered for the possibility of receiving matching funds.
But some local elected officials are questioning whether they can trust Sacramento to do the right thing with taxpayer dollars.
Erin Wilson, a member of the Hart District Board of Supervisors, was the only member to vote against the resolution supporting the proposal. He said in a phone interview Tuesday that the state went from having a $100 billion surplus in 2022 to now having a $68 billion deficit.
“I thought I would agree to that resolution,” Wilson said. To Sacramento, as members of our community, to a governance team that is not responsible for our funds. They haven’t proven they deserve a higher tax. ”
Los Angeles County District 5 Supervisor Kathryn Berger echoed similar sentiments in a prepared statement sent to Signal on Tuesday after the Board of Supervisors approved support for the proposal. Berger abstained from voting, citing “unresolved concerns” that some classrooms remain in poor condition after multiple bonds were passed over the years.
“I abstained due to unresolved concerns regarding Proposition 2,” Berger said in a statement. “While we hear loud and clear the voices of taxpayer frustration that these types of bonds are approved every year, we still see dilapidated classrooms, unreliable air conditioning systems, leaky roofs, aging plumbing, etc. I’m not convinced this is the best path forward. I prefer to keep school ties in the hands of local school districts who can apply a more surgical approach to creating solutions. I don’t like one-size-fits-all solutions.
Wilson agreed with Berger that municipal bonds, which only support schools within a specific school district, are usually better for the community.
“We’re receiving less funding than (Los Angeles Unified School District), but we’ve shown that we’re making better use of that funding,” Wilson said.
No bond action is currently being considered for the Hart District, but Wilson said based on conversations with district officials, a bond action may be needed in the future to renovate the facility.
“If the responsibility lies with the local district, I believe we will,” Wilson said.
Saugus is one of the local districts with a bond measure on the Nov. 5 ballot. Measure N provides $187 million in taxes at $30 per year per $100,000 of assessed value.
The funds will be used to renovate buildings and strengthen safety and security measures to make them safer in the event of an earthquake in the area, among other potential projects. .
The bond proposal would need approval from 55% of voters to pass.
California voters last approved a statewide bond measure for schools in 2016, providing $9 billion for construction costs. This was followed by several successful guarantees, but a proposal to provide $15 billion to school districts was defeated in 2020.
Voters have approved $54 billion in bond funding since the current state bond revenue formula took effect in 1998.
