It’s no secret that public schools are generally underfunded. That’s true around the country and it’s true right here in California. PreK-12 and community college districts throughout our state are always on the lookout for new funding sources to improve the educational opportunities they offer students and to maximize the positive impact they make on communities.
This November, California voters will get the chance to weigh in on Proposition 2, a statewide measure that, if passed, would issue $10 billion in bonds to pay for school facilities improvements. Of that amount, $8.5 billion would be allocated to PreK-12 schools and the remaining $1.5 billion to community colleges.
Here are just a few reasons why we strongly support Proposition 2:
It focuses on facilities. Public schools’ built environments are often the last thing to get funded by districts’ general budgets. Alongside local matching funds, Prop 2 would help modernize existing buildings and construct new ones where needed. That means updating and upgrading the structures – with new roofs, lighting, HVAC systems, technologies, etc. – that house our state’s learners, ranging in age from 3 to 24+ years old.
It addresses deferred maintenance. Just like homes, schools need regular upkeep to stay in good condition. Many of California’s school facilities have been standing for decades … some for more than a century. Districts can address small issues as they arise, tightening a dripping faucet here or slapping on a coat of paint there. But larger capital improvements require more significant influxes of cash, which is what bond measures like Prop 2 are designed to provide.
It supports student achievement. Improving school facilities is a way to bolster student performance, as it provides safer, more nurturing educational spaces. Bonds help raise the quality of school facilities so that they match the quality of school programs.
It replenishes depleted bond dollars. In 2016, California passed Proposition 51, which made much-needed matching funds available to public educational districts. The good news is that voters in our state understood the importance of school funding in 2016 and Prop 51 money was put to very good use. The bad news is that eight years have passed and our schools need a new funding source to continue improvements.
It complements and strengthens local bonds. Since public school districts need to match state funds with local funds, there are many local bond measures also being voted on in November. Throughout California, there are 267 unique school funding measures on local ballots, including 252 PreK-12 bond measures (totaling $39.3 billion) and 15 community college district measures (totaling $10.6 billion). Of those, ten VPCS client districts are hoping for voters’ yes votes:
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- East Side Union High School District: Parcel Tax Measure N ($49/parcel)
- Lemon Grove School District: Bond Measures EE and CC ($30 million each)
- Milpitas Unified School District: Bond Measure Q ($2.2 million)
- Napa Valley Unified School District: Bond Measure B ($230 million)
- Paradise Unified School District: Bond Measure G ($43 million)
- Piner-Olivet Union School District: Bond Measure K ($29.5 million)
- Plumas Lake Elementary School District: Bond Measures D, E and F ($18 million each)
- Shaffer Elementary School District: Bond Measure W ($2 million)
- Windsor Unified School District: Bond Measure V ($122.5 million)
- Wright Elementary School District: Bond Measure X ($29.2 million)
It strengthens communities. Strong public schools with vibrant facilities and campuses are at the heart of strong communities. Supporting school bonds is another way to support the places where we live and work; a way to invest in the present as well as the future.
Please join us in voting YES for Proposition 2 and YES on your local school bonds during this election season.
October 21, 2024