Lancaster Officials Make Late Push for School Bond

Community leaders and Lancaster school officials Thursday urged voter approval of a $47-million measure on Tuesday’s ballot that would pay for five new schools by imposing a property tax increase extending over 30 years.

The special election measure, requiring a two-thirds vote to pass, is similar to another $47-million bond measure that was narrowly rejected by district voters in April. Lancaster School District Supt. David Alvarez said the measure ought to fare better this time around.

“I just feel we have broad-based support from every segment of our community,” Alvarez said after a news conference Thursday. He was joined by representatives of area businesses, developers, PTA groups and school employee unions in endorsing the measure.

Passage of the measure would result in a 30-year-long property tax increase for property owners in the district. For instance, an owner of a residence assessed at $100,000 would pay an average of nearly $30 extra annually during the period, according to district projections. Actual year-to-year rates would vary.

If voters approve the measure, the school district would sell $47 million in bonds between this year and 1997 to raise money for the school projects. Property owners in the district would then pay higher property taxes through 2021 to pay off that debt.

District officials said they need the $47 million to build two middle schools and three elementary schools to keep up with enrollment growth and to get students out of portable classrooms. About one-third of the district’s 11,500 students are housed in the portable units.

Some of the bond money also would be used to install air conditioning and improve facilities at the existing 14 schools in the district, which covers the central part of Lancaster.

Twenty-five polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday for the district’s 34,514 registered voters.

The ballot measure has no organized opposition, although school officials conceded that it is always difficult to get a two-thirds vote. The district’s prior bond measure got a 60% favorable vote, but fell short of the two-thirds mandate by 570 votes.

District officials said the new measure’s proposed tax burden on property owners would be less than that proposed in 1990. An equal amount of money would be raised, however, because of the increasing number and value of taxable properties in the growing area, district officials said.

The school district is paying the county registrar of voters about $70,000 to conduct the special election. Officials said they believe that a special election could bring out voters whose only interest might be to support the schools measure.