Measure K: Anaheim Union High School District facilities bond

The Anaheim Union High School District is asking voters to approve a property tax increase to fund $496 million in renovation and repair projects.

At least 55% of voters need to approve Measure K for it to pass.

Official title on the ballot: Anaheim Union High School District, Classroom/School Repair, Quality Education, Career Readiness Measure

Understanding Measure K

AUHSD serves about 27,000 students across 21 schools. The district wants money to fix deteriorating roofs, plumbing, and electrical systems; remove asbestos and lead pipes; and repair or build classrooms and science labs, among other things.

School districts rely on voters to approve statewide and local bonds to pay for repairs, renovations, and new construction. This year, Anaheim voters will decide whether to support one of each: the district’s Measure K 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.

If at least 55% of voters approve Measure K, the Anaheim Union High School District can issue up to $496 million million in bonds to finance specific school facilities projects.

LAist asked AUHSD to name its top priorities for bond funding, but representatives have yet to respond.

The money borrowed through the measure would be paid back through a property tax. The district estimates the bond would cost property-owners that live within the school district’s boundaries an average of $30 per $100,000 of assessed value. There’s also a possibility that the Anaheim Union High 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.

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.

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.

Anaheim Elementary School District board member Jose Paolo Magcalas, several teachers, and a parent are among those who submitted an argument in favor of the bond to the Orange County Registrar.

Read more:

What people who oppose it might 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.

The Association has not taken a position on specific local bonds other than LAUSD’s $9 billion Measure US (no) and on Prop. 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.”

An Anaheim and Stanton resident submitted arguments against the bond to the Orange County Registrar. The Stanton resident’s argument was ultimately printed in the County’s voter information guide.

Read more:

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.

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.

Potential financial impact

A bond is basically a loan. The bond authorized by Measure K would be paid back — with interest — through local property taxes.

Further reading

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