Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Bond Issue’s Approval Means 2 New Schools : Education: Saugus district’s voters overwhelmingly back Measure S, which increases property taxes.

A $10.2-million bond to pay for two new elementary schools won easily for the Saugus Union School District in Tuesday’s election, validating predictions by school officials.

Measure S was supported by 77.6% of 6,039 votes cast, easily clearing the two-thirds majority required for passage. Some 26,351 registered voters living within the district were eligible to vote on the issue.

Supt. Troy Bramlett accurately predicted both the proposal’s passage and the voter turnout in the district, but expected a narrower margin of victory because of the economy.

“We thought it would be close. We were surprised by how much it won by,” he said.

School officials were confident despite mixed responses to recent bond proposals by Santa Clarita Valley voters. The Castaic Union School District successfully passed a $20-million bond measure for new construction March 2, while two 1991 attempts by the Newhall School District to win voter approval of a $20-million bond failed.

Saugus community members raised $18,700 to cover pro-bond advertising and no opposing statement was filed for the sample ballot. Any funds remaining after election expenses are to be divided evenly among the district’s 10 schools.

Measure S issues a 25-year bond, with property owners in the school district charged $1 a month per every $100,000 of assessed valuation of their homes.

Initially, the Saugus district will use the revenue to pay off debts on existing district buildings. The bond measure also freed up $700,000 a year that previously has gone into interest payments. That money will be used to build the two schools.

Bramlett said the district previously was dipping into its reserves each year for the funds. The district has a $22-million operating budget.

Two schools capable of handling 700 students each ultimately will be built with the funding, using portable classrooms.

The first, scheduled to open September, 1994, is Seco Canyon School, which will be located at the east end of Cypress Avenue. The second, as yet unnamed school will be on Plum Canyon Road near Wellston Drive. Construction of the second school will not begin until additional growth occurs in the district.

Land for the two sites were set aside as part of housing projects by developers Paragon Homes, Davidon Homes and S&S; Homes.

Failure of the bond would have forced the district’s 10 elementary schools to cut $70,000 each out of their budgets, Bramlett said. Also, an estimated 100 part-time employees--including classroom aides, music teachers, computer specialists, librarians and others--would have been let go, he said.