2 Initiatives to Generate $18 Million for Schools

Voter approval of two statewide ballot measures is expected to steer as much as $18 million for buildings and improvements to San Fernando Valley schools and colleges, officials said Wednesday.

About $2.23 million will go to five projects at the Cal State Northridge campus through passage of Proposition 78, which calls for a $600-million bond issue for construction on college campuses, CSUN officials said.

Most of the Northridge money will be used to expand the school’s Oviatt Library and to complete renovation of the campus science building, said Dorena Knepper, director of governmental and administrative affairs at the university.

The $933,000 library addition will house an automated book retrieval system, one of the first among colleges in the state, Knepper said. The system will store and retrieve books that take up needed study space, she said. The library project is expected to begin next month, she said.

About $1.3 million of the school’s share of Proposition 78 will be used for the science building renovation project, which has already started, Knepper said. The remaining $800,000 will be used to equip a new computer center and pay for architectural plans for both a business and education building and a permanent site for the school’s Ventura campus.

Los Angeles Mission College will receive $993,000 from Proposition 78 funds, college officials said. The money will pay for equipment needed when the school opens its Sylmar campus in 3 years, officials said.

The Los Angeles Unified School District hopes to get about $15 million from the $800-million bond issue approved by voters under Proposition 79. The district said the money will be used to pay for about 30 school rehabilitation projects in the Valley.

The district is expecting about $3 million to fund construction of classrooms at Morningside Elementary School in San Fernando, officials said. An extra $12 million is expected to pay for improvements such as air conditioning, paint and storage at about 30 schools in high-growth areas such as the east and central parts of the Valley, officials said.

Districtwide, there are about 150 Los Angeles schools that have applied for state funds for similar improvement projects, said Byron Kimball, director of building services.