Neighborhood Rejects Tax to Build School : Election: Residents of the Summit area of Valencia vote 1,001 to 44 against a proposed $12-million bond measure in a special mail-in balloting.

Voters in a Valencia neighborhood quashed a bond measure that would have raised their taxes as much as $925 to build an elementary school, rejecting the proposal 1,001 to 44.

The Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters on Thursday released the results of the unusual election, which was conducted entirely by mail and had been initiated by homeowners who said they wished to tax themselves to generate money for a neighborhood school.

State education officials said it was one of the few times that homeowners, and not school trustees, had proposed a tax increase to build a school.

The $12-million measure, which required two-thirds approval for passage, would have created a special tax district within the Summit, an upscale housing tract of 1,700 households in the Newhall School District.

Property taxes would have been raised $230 to $925 annually depending on the size of the house or condominium. The increase would have remained in effect for 25 years.

Tuesday was the deadline for the Summit’s 1,945 registered voters to turn in the ballots.

Peggy Hanson, a homeowner who campaigned in support of the measure with her husband, Doug, said some neighbors told her that they mistakenly threw their ballots away, thinking they could vote at polling places.

However, she conceded that despite some confusion over ballots, the measure had little chance of passing during a recession.

“We’re just a victim of the times,” she said. “It was just too steep for people.”

The Hansons and other parents proposed building a neighborhood school two years ago when district trustees redrew attendance lines, splitting the Summit neighborhood in half to balance enrollments.

The new school would have served about 200 children from the Summit and 400 from other parts of the fast-growing school district.

Roland Jaworski, who campaigned against the measure, said he was not surprised that the proposal was defeated and added that he was impressed by the margin of victory.

In June, voters in the Summit have the chance to vote on another bond measure, this one for $20 million.

That bond issue would apply to the entire Newhall School District.