Enhancing Our Schools

School districts in recent years have been turning to voters locally to help shore up aging facilities and even to retain programs.

Good times for the state coffers have not necessarily translated into sufficient revenue to get the job done. State and local representatives need to keep up the drumbeat of reform so that districts have a chance to pursue excellence. But the recent election showed the importance of the ballot in maintaining educational excellence through the passage of school bonds. The question is likely to stay with us, as an upcoming Irvine vote will attest.

The small Magnolia School District in north Orange County became the latest winner in the search for bond money this month. In doing so it demonstrated that there is more than one way to persuade voters of the importance of keeping schools in good repair. Magnolia, which includes seven elementary schools in West Anaheim and Stanton, sought approval for a $9.7-million bond issue. It garnered 73% of the vote, well above the two-thirds required.

Unfortunately, on the same day as Magnolia’s victory, voters across California declined to reduce the percentage needed to pass local school bonds from two-thirds to a simple majority. The vote on Proposition 26 was close, 51% to 49%, but the result is to maintain too high a barrier.

The fact that Magnolia and several other Orange County districts have managed to pass the bonds does not mean it’s a good standard. It’s not. Majority rule didn’t mean much in school districts in Irvine, Huntington Beach and elsewhere in Anaheim in the past year or two. In those districts, more than half the voters approved bond measures or a parcel tax, but the “yes” votes fell short of the 66.7% requirement.

Magnolia plans to use its funds to replace underground gas, water and sewer pipes, repave playgrounds and upgrade fire alarm systems. It also will install wiring for Internet access. An important argument for passing the bond issue now was to make the district eligible for matching state funds, the proceeds of last November’s passage of the Proposition 1A statewide bond issue.

As is true of many districts in the county, Magnolia’s schools are 30 years old or more. That means original equipment often cannot be repaired; it has to be replaced. Homeowners know the constant battle to fix leaks, patch concrete and apply fresh paint. Schools have the same requirements, but on a larger scale.

Magnolia took the generally risky path of not getting local groups and organizations to sign on to its campaign for passage. A Chamber of Commerce official characterized the campaign as low-key. Usually, school districts try to gain support from local businesses, rightly believing that businesses recognize the need for good schools to produce an educated work force. Businesspeople also recognize the importance of the bottom line and won’t go for frivolous expenditures; a Chamber of Commerce nod can carry weight with voters.

Magnolia did benefit from a lack of opposition. With so little a margin to spare when two-thirds approval is required, any opposition can be deadly.

Huntington Beach Union High School District learned that last November, when a relatively small number of critics opposed a $123-million bond measure, saying it was too large. More than 61% of the voters approved, but critics wound up victorious.

A week earlier in Santa Ana, a $145-million bond issue passed after receiving the unanimous endorsement of the Chamber of Commerce. Foes criticized the Santa Ana Unified school board, saying it could not be trusted to spend the funds properly, but residents aware of the need to build new schools and fix old ones pushed the measure through.

Irvine Unified School District failed previously to win approval for a parcel tax that would have allowed it to retain its commitment to extra programs. But since Feb. 22, there has been no question about the stakes. The school board, faced with a $4-million budget deficit, approved the cutting of 182 full-time positions and scaling back arts, music and science programs. The district already has cut $12 million.

On March 10, layoff notices went to 231 teachers, some of whom are part-time instructors whose positions combined are the equivalent of full-time jobs. The decision has cast a pall over a district well known for its high-quality education and commitment to excellence. Its vote on April 11 asking approval of a $95 annual parcel tax, tailored this time with an exemption for senior citizens, provides voters with an opportunity to reflect on the quality of public education and to recommit to it.