In abstract
Along with voting on $10 billion in state college bonds, Inland Empire residents will contemplate bonds for 22 college districts.
As California voters weigh in on $10 billion in state college bonds with Proposition 2, Inland Empire college districts are asking voters to approve 22 native college bond measures totalling $3.6 billion.
That’s $1.7 billion for 11 separate college bond measures in Riverside County and $1.9 million for one more 11 measures in San Bernardino County. They might greenlight bond gross sales starting from $15 million for the tiny Nuview Union College District, close to Lake Perris, to $500 million for Redlands Unified College District.
State and native bonds are written to work collectively however aren’t paid for in the identical means. College districts levy new native property taxes to repay their bond measures. California covers its debt service by way of normal tax income, so state college bond measures don’t straight set off tax hikes.
Districts can stretch their {dollars} additional by pairing native bond funds with state grants.
“Local school districts may qualify for matching funds from the state for facility construction, improvements and repairs if local voters approve a local bond measure,” native authorities advisor Michael Coleman stated. “For this reason, we see a record 267 local school bond measures on this November 2024 ballot. The two go together.”
Inland Empire Districts are in search of cash for a number of sorts of investments. A part of it might go to nuts-and-bolts infrastructure upgrades, together with air-con, hearth security, safety and incapacity entry. Districts additionally plan to construct science and know-how labs or vocational school rooms to coach college students in such fields as robotics, coding, well being care or development trades.
At the very least one district hopes to ease its rising pains. Victor Valley Union Excessive College District is floating a pair of poll measures at $180 million every. One goals to enhance services, whereas the opposite would scale back overcrowding from an enrollment growth of 21% in lower than a decade.
That contrasts with California’s total scholar enrollment, which declined for six straight years by way of 2022-23 and is anticipated to maintain dropping for the following decade, in accordance with the state Division of Finance.
On the similar time Proposition 2 would permit the state to borrow $10 billion for varsity development and modernization. Most of that — $8.5 billion — would go to Ok-12 faculties. One other $1.5 billion is dedicated to neighborhood faculties. Its priorities are much like these of native bond measures, reminiscent of eradicating lead, upgrading seismic security, including air-con and broadband entry, and constructing profession technical services.
Is all of that an excessive amount of to ask? Not essentially, Coleman stated. If voters wish to profit from their native bond cash by pairing it with state funds, “they would be more likely to vote for both,” he stated. “If they understand the linkage, they will not likely choose one over the other.”
Latest polls present Proposition 2 forward with 54% of probably voters in favor and 44% opposed. The state bond measure simply must clear 50% to go, however native college bond measures should win 55% of the vote.
