Delighted Educators Move to Begin Repairs

Burbank school backers Wednesday relished the overwhelming voter approval of a $112.5-million bond to repair schools as officials moved quickly to begin improvements.

First on the list: upgrading telephone systems.

But the major projects--reconstruction of Burbank and Burroughs high schools, modernization and repairs at each of the district’s 19 schools--will await architectural work.

Many Burbank schools are more than 60 years old, and common problems include deteriorated electrical, plumbing, heating and lighting systems and small, poorly equipped classrooms.

“These are major, major construction projects,” said Ali Kiafar, an assistant superintendent. “You can imagine how involved it’s going to be.”

School officials and other bond supporters were energized by the citywide backing the measure received in the general election Tuesday.

The schools bond, approved through an unofficial 8,880-3,517 vote margin, easily received the two-thirds majority needed to pass. Nearly 72% of the voters backed the measure.

And it was the first time since 1953 that a school bond vote was successful in Burbank, where a $100-million initiative to renovate schools was defeated three years ago when only 53% voted in favor.

Richard Raad, co-chairman of a volunteer group called Friends for Burbank Schools, said while there was no highly organized opposition, supporters took nothing for granted.

Volunteers grew from 25 to several hundred supporters who spent recent days explaining the bond measure and encouraging voters to turn out, Raad said.

“We took our message to the community,” said Raad, whose daughter, Jennifer, is a senior at Burroughs High, and son, Richie, is in kindergarten at Emerson School. “Yesterday was exam day and we definitely studied for that exam.”

The measure approved Tuesday is expected to cost homeowners an average of $44 per $100,000 of assessed valuation annually for 25 years.

Schools Supt. David Aponik said the district’s overall planned repairs and renovation actually carries a price tag of about $177 million, but that other funding will make up the difference.

Aponik said renovating the two high schools alone will cost about $80 million and take several years.

Ongoing improvements will continue at several district campuses, with major work being done in phases to avoid disruption of the schools, he said.

“We’re going to start the work [covered by the bond funding] as early as this summer,” he said. “It’s going to be five to seven years for completion.”

The school district has about 14,100 students in kindergarten through grade 12, plus about 4,000 in adult education and another 900 in child-care or preschool programs, he said.

“We can do this magnitude of reconstruction and do it well,” Aponik said.

On Tuesday, two new members were elected to the school board: Patricia Burnett, 47, a longtime schools volunteer, and Connie Lackey, 50, a nurse who was appointed to the board last year. Each was elected to serve a four-year term.

Burnett was the top vote-getter with 5,993 votes, followed by Lackey with 5,545, according to unofficial results. They will be sworn into office May 15.

Losers were Anthony De Felicis, 39, a local pastor, and incumbent Denise Wilcox, 41, a former educator.

Voters also retained a 10% transient parking tax at short-term facilities such as Burbank Airport. The tax, adopted by the Burbank City Council in December 1995, does not apply to parking at hospitals, medical facilities and monthly employee or residential parking.

The unofficial count for the tax measure was 7,826 yes votes and 3,944 no votes.

Victor Gill, an airport spokesman, said airport officials will press on with their lawsuit opposing the tax in state court. The airport contends the tax is illegal under federal guidelines and violates the joint powers agreement that created the airport’s governing board, which has representatives from Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena, he said.

Gill said so far the airport has paid the city about $1.5 million for the tax. It is understandable that Burbank voters backed it, he said.

“It’s very hard for anybody to resist money coming into your pocket and there’s no pain to you,” he said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Burbank Election Results

(100 percent of precincts)

*

Burbank Board of Education

(Two elected)

Patricia “Trish” Burnett; 5, 993

Connie Lackey*: 5,545

Anthony “Tony” De Felicis: 4,916

Denise Wilcox*: 4,610

*

Ballot Measures

A97-Should the city retain the existing 10% transient parking tax?

Yes: 7,826

No: 3,944

*

B97-Should the Burbank Unified School District issue $112.5 million in bonds for the rehabilitation of city schools? Approval would cost homeowners an average of $44 per $100,000 of assessed valuation each year for 25 years.

Yes: 8,880

No: 3,517

* Denotes current officeholder