4 Local School Bonds Approved Under New State Rule

Los Angeles County voters approved four out of five school-construction bonds Tuesday in one of the first local elections since a new state law lowered the threshold for passing school bond measures.

Three of those victories, however, were not affected by last year’s passage of Proposition 39, which set the bar for passage at 55% of the vote, rather than two-thirds.

Bond measures in the El Segundo Unified School District, the Santa Clarita Community College District and Santa Clarita’s William S. Hart Union High School District all passed with more than 67% of the vote.

But the new cushion meant the difference for the Mt. San Antonio Community College District, which passed a $221-million bond package with 58% approval.

Mt. San Antonio College President William Fedderson said the new threshold emboldened the single-college district to put the item in front of voters this year. He also said it would open a new chapter for the 40,000-student Walnut campus, which has been turning away students because it is at capacity.

“This bond has been about whether we’re going to preserve opportunity or close what has been an open door to education,” said Fedderson, who estimated the student body would grow to 50,000 in the next five years.

Mt. San Antonio’s bond measure was one of nine classroom-building bonds in California that wouldn’t have passed Tuesday under the old threshold, according to the California Assn. of School Business Officials.

“That’s significant,” said Kevin Gordon, executive director of the association, which supported Proposition 39. “I’m sure it drives the anti-tax people nuts.”

Of the bond packages that needed 55% to pass, the only one to fail Tuesday was in the Palmdale School District, where a $25-million measure to build two new schools received 54.78% of the vote in the unofficial tally.

Supporters of the Palmdale bond said they were hoping for a reversal of fortune when the handful of outstanding absentee votes are counted, but for now, they said they are heartbroken.

“Our parents didn’t get out and vote,” said bond supporter Doug Dotter. “You had about 6,500 people get out in a vote where there’s 40,000 registered voters. . . . Unfortunately, there’s a severe apathy in this community.”

Supt. Nancy Smith said the district will have to consider eliminating its 20-to-1 student-teacher ratio in kindergarten through third grade. It may also have to go on “double track” schedules that would have students finishing classes at odd hours--a possibility that Dotter called “a nightmare” for the commuter community.

But Gordon said Proposition 39 should offer hope to Palmdale bond supporters.

“In Palmdale, this would have been a pretty significant loss under the old rules,” Gordon said. “Now they can say, ‘If we work a little bit harder, maybe we can get that 1% that we need.’ ”

Officials from all five districts said the bonds were needed to relieve crowding and fix beat-up buildings.

At College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, where voters approved an $82-million bond package, about half of the classes have waiting lists, said President Dianne VanHook.

Sale of the bonds will fund several classroom buildings, a 50,000-square-foot hall where the college could offer university-level courses, and other upgrades.

Santa Clarita’s William S. Hart School District, meanwhile, has 7,000 more students than it was designed to accommodate. After Tuesday’s 70% approval, it will have $158 million to build 10 schools.

In south Los Angeles County, a $25-million bond to upgrade El Segundo High School easily passed, with 75% of the vote.