Santa Ana, Capo School Bonds Pass; Irvine Rejects Tax

Voters wholeheartedly embraced multimillion-dollar school bonds in two of Orange County’s largest and fastest-growing school districts Tuesday, while narrowly rejecting a parcel tax in Irvine Unified, known for its academic prowess.

With all precincts reporting, Santa Ana Unified’s $145-million measure enjoyed nearly 70% support. Meanwhile, Capistrano Unified’s $65-million bond cruised to victory as well, with almost 74% of voters backing it. The bonds were earmarked for building schools, whittling class sizes and replacing antiquated electrical wiring.

But Irvine’s $95-a-parcel tax, designed to patch a deficit while preserving rich arts, music and technology offerings, failed. The levy lost by a few crucial percentage points.

All three measures need a two-thirds majority, just under 67%, to win.

At the county registrar of voters office, backers of the Capistrano and Santa Ana bonds yelped with glee when they glimpsed the absentee results, which reflected about 10% of the electorate in both districts.

The absentee results held true throughout the evening.

Santa Ana Trustee Nadia Maria Davis credited her district’s success to a campaign that involved elected leaders, parents and the business community.

“I’m very happy,” Davis said. “Actions speak louder than words. And people are acting out to say education is first in Santa Ana. Either to fill out an absentee ballot or to drive down to a polling place takes a lot of action.”

The bond results heartened county Department of Education Supt. John F. Dean, who supported all three of the measures.

“I think the public is finally beginning to realize the responsibility to support the schools,” Dean said Tuesday afternoon. “We have been on a starvation diet for a long time.”

The bonds’ passage could also foreshadow the fate of a next week’s $123-million bond sought by the Huntington Beach Union High School District.

“People can see the schools falling apart--the bathrooms are bad, the roofs leak,” Dean said later Tuesday. “Assuming that Capistrano and Santa Ana pass, I think Huntington Beach also will. The same conditions apply.”

Faced with crowded classrooms, aging buildings, inadequate infrastructure and dilapidated heating and cooling systems, Santa Ana and Capistrano school officials decided to seek bonds. In Irvine, officials opted for the proposed parcel tax to patch that school district’s deficit while retaining arts, science and technology programs.

The stakes were high in all three races.

School Bonds Have Been a Hard Sell Here

Irvine trustees have said they would have to cut jobs and programs if the parcel tax didn’t pass. Santa Ana and Capistrano were both seeking local funds to secure their share of a $9.2-billion statewide bond, passed in 1998. Santa Ana is eligible for as much as $185 million, and Capistrano could leverage an additional $101 million.

Until recently, school bonds have been a hard sell in Orange County. Traditionally tax-averse county voters had rejected every bond save one since the mid-1970s. That trend reversed in the last year, when county voters endorsed back-to-back bonds.

Officials in Santa Ana were hoping that trend would help the district cope with staggering growth. In the last two decades, the district has gained at least 1,400 new students each year. Bond money will allow the district to build 11 elementary and two high schools, decrease class sizes, add electrical wiring and add libraries to some schools.

Eduardo Torres, a 34-year-old baker, has seen the district’s aging facilities firsthand. Working on his high school equivalency at Santa Ana College, Torres said his classrooms are newer and better equipped than most at Remington Elementary, which his 7-year-old daughter attends.

“Sure there are some new rooms [at Remington], but some of them are 23 years old and have no air-conditioning,” said Torres, who voted for the school bond. “We need to invest in better schools and spend our money on our kids or else we’re all going to be in trouble down the line.”

In similar straits as Santa Ana, the Capistrano school district sought bond cash to accommodate rapid enrollment growth too. The money will be used to build two elementary, one middle and one high school to accommodate enrollment growth. The bond will also help add classrooms to replace portable ones, fix aging plumbing and heating systems and add computer wiring.

Hoping to get all Capistrano bond supporters to the polls, hundreds of parent volunteers from Coto de Caza to Laguna Niguel mobilized Tuesday, canvassing, calling and courting prospective voters.

Parents Mobilized in Capistrano Push

Although no organized opposition existed to the bond, some voters--such as San Juan Capistrano resident Chuck Elliott--said they resented the proposed tax. “I’m not against the schools,” said Elliott, who has no children in the district. “I just think all the burden shouldn’t be put on homeowners. I vote no on every bond issue.”

Others said the bond would supply desperately needed money to bolster education. “I hope it will pass, because the future is in education,” said Maxine Putnam, a San Juan Capistrano resident.

In Irvine, the parcel tax was designed to raise about $3.4 million. But some voters thought they’d already done enough for Irvine schools. “We’ve supported the schools all the years that our grandchildren were going,” said Marian Terek, who voted against the measure. “There just comes a time when you need to trim the expenses.”

In another education election, Orange Unified Trustee Maureen Aschoff handily fended off a challenge from Paul Haynes. With all 68 precincts reporting, Aschoff had the support of nearly 66% of the voters.

Times Community News reporters Rebecca Harris and Mathis Winkler contributed to this report.