Glendale school officials weigh measures that could help fund local facilities, education
With a little more than four months before residents head to the polls to vote on state initiatives, Glendale school board members are trying to decide which propositions they will support amid concerns that two measures aiming to benefit schools may compete for voters’ approval.
One proposition, the California Public Education Facilities Bond Initiative, asks voters to give the state approval to issue $9 billion in bond funds to modernize and construct new school facilities in elementary and secondary schools as well as community colleges.
Meanwhile, the Children’s Education and Healthcare Protection Act of 2016 would extend Proposition 30’s temporary income-tax increase on wealthy residents for 12 more years.
Voters’ approval of the latter proposition would give K-12 schools and community colleges access to an estimated $11 billion more per year.
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The revenue would come from California’s wealthiest individual taxpayers who earn more than $250,000 per year or from couples who bring in more than $500,000 annually, and would be collected between 2019 and 2030.
During a recent meeting, school board members were expected to vote on a resolution supporting the state bond initiative, but they pulled the item and discussed possibly voting to support both initiatives closer to election day.
Both measures are supported by the California School Board Assn., said Robert McEntire, chief business and financial officer of Glendale Unified. A recent poll of about 1,700 California voters indicated that the two propositions do not compete against each other, he said.
While board members said they value both initiatives, the income-tax extension emerged as the priority if they were forced to back only one because those funds end up in Glendale Unified’s general fund.
“If we had to give weight to one over the other, personally, I’m a lot more concerned about the status of our ongoing general fund,” said school board member Christine Walters. “The [proposition] 30, to me, would be much more detrimental, should it not be extended. That being said, we have a huge facilities campaign. There’s a dire need for that as well.”
Glendale Unified Supt. Winfred Roberson Jr. told board members that staff would bring back both resolutions for the board’s consideration in September.
Board members Greg Krikorian and Armina Gharpetian liked the idea of backing both propositions.
“I think it’s important we support both,” Krikorian said. “They both help our district.”
However, if forced to choose one over the other, school board member Nayiri Nahabedian, said: “I need to go with the Prop. 30 extension.”
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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
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