Pass: 885,467 / 69.11% Yes votes ...... 395,852 / 30.89% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Summary Prepared by League of Women Voters of Los Angeles:

Background:
LAUSD has embarked on an effort to house all of its students in neighborhood, conventional calendar schools financed by general obligation bonds. Since 1997 the voters have authorized the district 3 times to sell general obligation bonds in total worth $13 billion dollars. Prior to the measure passed in 1997, there was a 34-year gap from the last bond issue. With this money the district has managed to sharply reduce the number of students being bussed to less crowded schools and decreased the number of schools operating on a year round schedule as well as upgrade many of the older schools in the district.

The Measure
Measure Q would authorize the district to raise $7 billion from the sale of General Obligation bonds. Pursuant to Proposition 39 this would require a 55% yes vote in the upcoming election. All expenditures of monies received from the sale of these bonds would be subject to the accountability of a strong, independent citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee in compliance with Prop 39. The projects to be undertaken with funds from the sale of these bonds will be used to upgrade and update earthquake and fire safety, repair and upgrade aging and deteriorating classrooms and restroom, and remove asbestos and lead paint hazards. It will also to used to build science labs and other specialized classrooms. Also there is money available in matching funds from previous state bond measures.

Supporters Say:

• Measure Q will create greener, healthier learning environments for our kids by replacing outdated polluting busses, improving air quality in schools near high traffic areas, installing energy efficient technology, and increasing use of renewable energy
• Measure Q will give more students access to the Internet and up-todate classroom technology.
• Measure Q will create small schools that give students personal attention from their teachers and foster innovation, reform, and academic success.

• Measure Q puts the burden of $7 billion in bonds on local taxpayers to build more schools, when we have shut down existing schools, and enrollment is dropping.
• LAUSD had already received $19.3 billion in bond money in the last 10 years. They still have 19 projects still underway for from those bonds. We don’t need new bonds.
• The amount of the bond measure went from $3.2 billion to $7 billion just in the last minute before the board voted to put the measure on the ballot. More time is needed to fully determine the priorities for spending this money.

A 'Yes' vote says the Los Angeles Unified School District should be allowed to sell $7 billion in General Obligation bonds, spending to be accountable to a Citizens’ Oversight Committee.

A 'No' vote says that the Los Angeles Unified School District cannot sell any additional bonds not authorized by previous bond measures.

Official Sources of Information

• Full Text

Funds received from the sale of the bonds shall be used for the specific purposes set forth in this Measure including repairing and upgrading classrooms and restrooms; upgrading fire and earthquake safety; reducing asbestos, lead paint, air pollution, and water quality hazards; building and upgrading specialized classrooms students need to meet job and college requirements; and improving classroom Internet access.

Independent performance and financial audits will be performed annually to ensure that the funds received from the sale of the bonds are expended as specified in the Measure. All bond expenditures will be monitored by the District’s School Construction Bond Citizens’ Oversight Committee to ensure that the funds are spent as specified.

The bonds shall bear or accrue interest at a rate not to exceed the legal maximum. The Bonds would be issued for a term not to exceed twenty-five (25) years in the case of bonds issued under the authority of the Education Code, and forty (40) years in the case of bonds issued under the authority of the Government Code. The highest tax rate projected for the bonds shall not annually exceed $60.00 per $100,000 of the taxable property within the District. By issuing the bonds, the District may be eligible to receive matching funds.

This Measure requires a fifty-five percent (55%) vote for passage.

LAUSD

• Los Angeles Unified School District

Ballotpedia

LAUSD News Release

July 31, 2008