League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Los Angeles County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Measure K School Improvement Bonds Lynwood Unified School District School Bonds - 55% Approval Required Pass: 7,719 / 57.38% Yes votes ...... 5,733 / 42.62% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure K

Arguments Against Measure K

Sacramento budget cuts are devastating Lynwood schools, but now we have a chance to improve them - vote YES on K! YES on K improves education by upgrading classroom technology, science labs, job training classrooms and school libraries so our students can excel in the 21st century. In today's tough job market, we must prepare our students so that all of them - whether or not they attend college - have the opportunity to get good paying jobs following graduation. Yes on K keeps our Lynwood schools clean and well maintained, while improving access for students with disabilities. Our children need a range of activities to stay focused on studying and out of trouble. YES on K improves physical education facilities to ensure our students stay active and engaged in school. YES on K improves classrooms and physical education facilities to keep kids focused on school, out of trouble and away from gangs and drugs. Often our schools are overrun by gangs who vandalize classrooms, break windows, light fires and tag walls with graffiti - unacceptable! But our broken, decades-old school fences and lack of security lighting can't keep them out. YES on K upgrades school security - fencing, lighting, gates and locks - to keep gangs OUT of Lynwood schools! Surrounding communities like Paramount, Compton, and Long Beach have all approved hundreds of millions in new bond funds for their schools. YES on K gives Lynwood students the same opportunities as our neighbors! Measure K requires independent citizens' oversight and annual audits to ensure all funds are spent as promised. Every dime raised by Measure K benefits students in Lynwood schools - NO money can be taken by Sacramento. By law, NO money goes to administrator salaries/pensions. Join classroom teachers, parents, seniors, local business owners and community leaders - vote YES on K! Visit http://www.yesonKforlynwoodschools.com JUAN BARROSO Teacher, Lynwood High School EDITH ORNELAS President, Lynwood Community Advisory Council for Special Education VINCENT OSBY President, Lynwood Athletics Community Services (LACS) Football PAUL GARCIA School Safety Officer RAJEN DHALIWAL President, Greater Lynwood Chamber of Commerce Rebuttal to Arguments For BARROW --- SPEND --- REPEAT Measure K will be a New Tax for 40 years. The more you paid for your home, the greater your tax burden. Renters are affected. Whenever property taxes increase, rents increase. LUSD is guaranteed a large percentage of California's General Fund. Don't forget the lottery and federal grants. Responsible spending is needed, not more taxes. LUSD has seen huge increases in funding during the early 2000's from previous local and state bonds and failed to repair its facilities. The same problems of poor planning, financial mismanagement and credibility remain. LUSD is still plagued with Superintendent mismanagement and left wing liberal policies implemented by the current governing board that has allowed sexual deviant hiring debacles along with upper level mismanagement to continue within the district. LUSD is near financial collapse as a result of unchecked borrowing and spending. The ballot before you contains initiatives with massive borrowing totaling 93 million dollars plus interests over 40 years. LUSD academic levels are ranked at one of the lowest in Los Angeles County due to liberal governing policies and no credible oversight by management. LUSD will not improve for our children until voters insist upon fiscal responsibility and meaningful reforms. LUSD's California Standardize Test Scores of our students WILL NOT increase by taxing the Lynwood Residents. BARROW --- SPEND --- REPEAT TAXATION is not the solution. Join Deputy Sheriff's, Firefighters, State PTA Members, Construction Workers and even Teachers in saying NO to taxation and Voting NO on Measure K. ARMANDO REA Lynwood Taxpayers Association President

LUSD presents this tax bond as needed classroom repair, student safety and an independent citizen's oversight committee. If the district really needs these bonds, why can't they issue them now, making the bond payments out of the existing tax revenue sources? School Board Members seeking higher taxes always point to buildings in disrepair. It's a standard pitch. We give them tons of tax money, and they simply cannot maintain our schools. Their solution? Present a fear card and raise taxes! So is student safety and job training. It's the same old left wing socialist solution to gain access into your bank account. Lynwood Voters have already approved a general obligation bond in 2002 at a cost of over 20 million dollars to be repaid with interest charges over a period of 40 years. We were all promised in the past that our schools would be rebuilt and renovated with the previous bond measure. LUSD's share of standard property tax revenue has zoomed upward. It is almost 7 times more than it was 20 years ago. It is growing far faster than population and inflation combined. Yet the district says we need to pay even higher property taxes! Lynwood Homeowner's are ranked 10th of 88 Cities in Los Angeles County on annual property tax bills. Renters will not be exempted and their landlords will tack on this increase to their monthly rent. Low-income families, disabled citizens and senior citizens on fixed incomes are disproportionately affected by the forced taxing of basic necessities. LUSD is no stranger to mismanagement, and a former senior executive is currently being prosecuted for embezzlement of public funds. Much of the district's incredible expenditures are used on projects that are staffed by political allies and cronies of the School Board. Vote NO on Measure K ARMANDO REA Lynwood Taxpayers Association President Rebuttal to Arguments Against Don't be fooled by a disgraced ex-politician charged with stealing taxpayer dollars + he can't be trusted. The fact is, YES on K is supported by teachers, parents, community leaders, and local business owners because Sacramento continues to cut school funding + we must improve Lynwood schools so OUR children have the same opportunities as kids in surrounding communities. Trust the Facts! YES on K is legally required to be spent on: Improving education and technology, science labs/job training facilities so our kids can succeed in the 21st century and have the same opportunities as those in neighboring districts. Upgrading classrooms/physical education facilities that keep kids focused on school, out of trouble and away from gangs/drugs. Installing security cameras, outdoor lighting, fencing, gates/locks to keep gangs out of our schools. FACT: Measure K requires independent citizens' oversight/annual audits to ensure funds are spent as promised to YOU, the taxpayer. FACT: Every dime raised by YES on K benefits LYNWOOD's schools and students + NO money can be taken by Sacramento politicians. By law, NO money can be spent on administrators' salaries or pensions. Sacramento budget cuts are devastating our schools + Yes on K gives us the chance to improve them! Don't let gangs continue to vandalize our students' classrooms, break windows, light fires and tag school walls with graffiti! Vote YES on K to keep students safe while at school, giving our kids the education they need to get good paying jobs and the education they deserve. MERCEDES RAMIREZ PTA President BRENDA BUSTAMANTE Elementary School Teacher LEE D. FINNIE JR Pastor New Life Community Christian Center DOLORES RAYMOND 58 Yr. Lynwood Resident & Tax Payer

Tax Rate Statement from EDWARD VELASQUEZ Superintendent, Lynwood Unified School District

An election will be held in the Lynwood Unified School District (the "District") on November 6, 2012, on the question of whether to authorize up to $93,000,000 in bonds to be issued by the District to finance school facilities as described in the ballot measure. Principal and interest on the bonds will be paid from taxes levies on the taxable property in the District. The information contained in numbered paragraphs 1 - 3 below is provided in compliance with Section 9401 of the Elections Code of the State of California. This information is based on the best estimates and projections presently available from official sources, experience within the District and other demonstrable factors. 1. The best estimate of the tax which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the first series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $.05500 per $100 of assessed valuation, which equates to $55.00 per $100,000 of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2013-14. 2. The best estimate of the tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the last series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $.05500 per $100 of assessed valuation, which equates to $55.00 per $100,000 of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2028-29. 3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $.05500 per $100 of assessed valuation, which equates to $55.00 per $100,000 of assessed valuation in every year. Voters should note that the estimated tax rates are based on the ASSESSED VALUE of taxable property on the County's official tax rolls, not on the property's market value. Property owners should consult their own property tax bills to determine their property's assessed value and any applicable tax exemptions. The attention of all voters is directed to the fact that the foregoing information is based upon the District's projections and estimates only, which are not binding upon the District. The actual tax rates and the years in which they will apply may vary from those presently estimated, due to variations from these estimates in the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold and market interest rates at the time of each sale, and actual assessed valuations over the term of repayment of the bonds. The dates of sale and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on its need for construction funds and other factors, including the legal limitations on bonds approved by a 55% vote. The actual interest rates at which the bonds will be sold will depend on the bond market at the time of each sale. Actual future assessed valuation will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the District as determined by the County Assessor in the annual assessment and the equalization process. Submittal of the foregoing statement has been approved by the Lynwood Unified School District.