HAWTHORNE : Recount Sought on Vote for School Bond Issue

Hawthorne school officials have asked for a recount of the June 7 vote on Proposition B.

The bond issue, which lost by 19 votes, would have authorized $15 million for improvements at the district’s seven elementary and two junior high schools, said Pamela Fees, director of business services for the district.

The proposition required a two-thirds majority of those voting. It gained 66.16% of the vote--just .5% shy of passing, according to the county registrar’s office.

The recount is expected to take several days and could cost members of Community for Hawthorne School District Proposition B, the citizens group sponsoring the recount, up to $2,000. Fees is a member of that group.

The county registrar charges by the day for recounting, and the total cost depends on the number of ballots cast and the number of counters requested, Fees said.

“If the vote is overturned, however, I understand we don’t have to pay,” she said.

If the vote is overturned, the $15-million bond would be paid back over 25 years by an average $24 property tax increase on Hawthorne residents, according to the Los Angeles County auditor.

The recount is being funded by money left over from the original campaign to pass Proposition B, Fees said.

The money would also make the district eligible to receive state matching funds for renovation and modernization of school buildings, she said.

“Our buildings are all more than 40 years old,” she said. Many of the school buildings have problems with plumbing, locks and windows, Fees said.

The funds would also allow for construction of permanent buildings in place of portable classrooms now in use on some campuses.