The Arcadia Unified School District is asking voters to approve a property tax increase to fund $358 million in renovation and repair projects.
At least 55% of voters need to approve Measure AS for it to pass.
Official title on the ballot: Arcadia Unified School District School Safety/Repair Measure
You are being asked: Can Arcadia Unified School District borrow $358 million to fund repairs, renovations and construction?
WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS
-
A “yes” vote means: The district can borrow $358 million to construct new buildings, repair and renovate existing public schools.
-
A “no” vote means: The district cannot borrow $358 million to construct new buildings, repair and renovate existing public schools.
Understanding Measure AS
The Arcadia Unified School District serves about 9,000 among 11 schools. The district says it needs bond funding to improve drinking water, repair gas lines and leaky roofs, remove asbestos and lead paint, and improve security and fire safety, among other items.
School districts rely on voters to approve statewide and local bonds to pay for repairs, renovations, and new construction. This year, Arcadia voters will decide whether to support one of each: the district’s Measure AS and the statewide Proposition 2. (We’ve got a voter guide for that one, too.)
A bond is basically a loan that a school district takes out, and which property owners in that school district pay back through property taxes.
Make It Make Sense: Election 2024 Edition
Our election newsletter helps you make sense of the choices on your ballot and what the results mean for your life in SoCal.
If at least 55% of voters approve Measure AS, the Arcadia Unified School District can issue up to $358 million in bonds to finance specific school facilities projects.
The district told LAist in a survey that the top three priorities are:
- Safety and security
- Earthquake and fire retrofitting
- Infrastructure upgrades
In a statement to LAist, Chief Communications Officer Ryan Foran pointed to the district’s high academic rankings.
“In order to maintain that level of excellence, we need this funding to continue to support our students and staff with the level of excellence they need and deserve, and especially with safety,” Foran said. “Everyone on campus deserves to be as safe as possible.”
The district estimates the bond would cost property-owners that live within the school district’s boundaries an average of $60 per $100,000 of assessed value. There’s also a possibility that Arcadia Unified School District could get additional state funding if Prop 2 passes.
Districts cannot spend bond money on employee salaries and are required to commission independent audits of bond spending.
Calculate the impact of Measure AS on your property tax
-
- Find your property’s assessed value on the L.A. County Assessor’s website.
- Divide your assessed value by $100,000 and multiply that number by $60.
- The resulting number is the estimate of the annual property tax increase associated with Measure AS.
- Remember: Your property’s assessed value will change, but increases are limited to 2% per year, except when a property changes ownership or undergoes new construction.
- Rent? It’s possible that landlords pass increased property taxes on to tenants, but the limits on annual rent hikes depend on where you live.
What supporters of school bonds say
Research links higher student achievement to better quality schools — it’s easier to learn in clean, climate-controlled, well-lit classrooms.
In California, there’s no dedicated stream of funding to support the upkeep of the 10,000 public K-12 schools attended by 5.9 million students. The majority of the money schools receive from the state every year supports students, staff salaries and other day-to-day expenses.
Throughout the state, 38% of K-12 students go to schools that do not meet the minimum standard to be considered clean, safe, and functional.
A locker room in an Arcadia Unified School District building.
If the state and local measures fail, the need for funding will remain.
“Those buildings are not going to magically renovate themselves while we’re waiting for a better bond,” said Sara Hinkley, the California program manager at the Center for Cities + Schools at UC Berkeley.
The Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, Arcadia Teachers Association, and Arcadia Council PTA are among those who submitted an argument in favor of the bond to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder.
Read more:
Wasn’t the lottery supposed to fund education?
-
The lottery does contribute money to public education — L.A. County alone has gotten $11 billion since 1985 — but as revenues ballooned in recent years, school funding stagnated.
-
When California voters approved the creation of the lottery, the law required 34 cents of every dollar to fund education. In 2010 lawmakers changed the rules giving the lottery the mandate to “maximize” funding for education.
-
Now there are bigger jackpots, but fewer dollars for schools. A 2018 LAist investigation found the lottery’s contributions had dropped to 23 cents per dollar.
-
And in 2020, the California State Auditor found the lottery “has not provided required funding to education” and shorted schools tens of millions of dollars.
What critics of school bonds say
In general, critics of bonds often say the cost to property owners is too high and question why school districts with declining enrollment need money for construction when they’re serving fewer students.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is a frequent opponent of state and local school bonds. The nonprofit is dedicated to upholding Prop. 13, the 1978 constitutional amendment that limited changes to California property taxes.
“We think bond financing has its place, but it should be judicious because it raises property taxes at the local level,” said Susan Shelley, HJTA’s vice president of communications. “It increases the debt burden on future budgets because bond payments have to be made ahead of current needs in the budget.”
The Association has not taken a position on specific local bonds other than LAUSD’s $9 billion Measure US (no) and on Proposition 2 (also no).
Shelley said voters weighing school bonds should carefully consider how the school spent previous bond funding and the plans for future projects.
“You should have confidence that the priorities are right,” Shelley said. “And if they’re not, say no and make [the district] come back to you with a better plan.”
No individual or group submitted an argument in opposition to the bond to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder.
Who is in charge of all this money?
State law lays out several accountability measures for local school district bonds, including:
- 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.
- Independent, annual performance audits of bond-funded projects and spending
How long would construction take?
While districts identify projects that could benefit from improvements, that list is not a guarantee of which projects will be funded.
Bond-funded spending is reviewed by a Bond Oversight Committee. And there are often years of community meetings, design, and permitting between the passage of a bond and the start of construction, though minor renovation projects could be completed sooner.
Arcadia USD voters approved a $218 million bond in 2006. One example of a project funded by that measure is the Arcadia Performing Arts Center, which now hosts dozens of events per year.
Potential financial impact
A bond is basically a loan. The bond authorized by Measure AS would be paid back — with interest — through local property taxes.
Further reading
Before you read more, we wanted to take a moment to tell you about our mission here at LAist, and why we’re so dedicated to helping you get ready to vote.
In the lead-up to this important election, our hard-working reporters and editors spent hundreds and hundreds of hours researching and writing these detailed guides and fact-based resources. We invested that time because we’re here to help you vote confidently and make your community a better place.
But we cannot do this essential work without your help. We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
At a time when the need for local journalism has never been greater, many newsrooms are facing cutbacks, including LAist. Member support — your support — is what will sustain a free press in Southern California.
LAist’s mission is to be here for you, so please be here for us now with a donation to power our trusted local reporting. Step up right now and make the choice to give. Because that’s exactly what it is — a choice. It’s choice with consequences. If readers do not choose to step up and donate, the future of fact-based news in Southern California will not be as strong.
No matter what happens in the world, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust.
Thank you for your generous support.
Sincerely,
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
What questions do you have about the upcoming general election?
You ask, and we’ll answer: Whether it’s about how to interpret the results or track your ballot, we’re here to help you understand the 2024 general election on Nov. 5.