BURBANK : Survey Shows Most Back School Repairs

Almost two-thirds of Burbank voters support renovating the city’s two public high schools, but not if they have to pay for more than a third of the cost in higher taxes, a survey found.

“I think there is a good chance for a bond to pass in Burbank if we’re realistic about it,” Board President Elena Hubbell said Monday.

Of 400 registered voters questioned in early June, 63%--just shy of the two-thirds majority needed to pass a bond measure--said they support renovating John Burroughs and Burbank high schools, estimated to cost about $91 million.

But when residents were asked how much of a tax increase would be acceptable, few said they would be willing to pay $56 a year, enough to pay for a bond of only $39 million. Kent Price, head of Price Research, the San Ramon research firm that conducted the survey, said a tax increase of $36 to $49 a year--which translates into a bond of between $25 million and $34 million--would win more voter support.

The results of the survey, which cost the district $15,000, were presented to the school board last week. Hubbell said the district will probably have to look for other sources of funding, such as state grants, to finish the renovations.

For a bond measure to pass, the district will have to encourage more parents to vote and educate the public about the dilapidated conditions of the high schools, which date back to the 1920s, Price said.

Price said the survey found that most residents believe that district buildings are in satisfactory condition.

“I’m a little bit surprised that more people aren’t aware how the district facilities are deteriorating,” Hubbell said. The school board is expected to make a decision on a bond measure and on the renovation project in early fall.