In survey after survey, California voters rank the need to improve schools as the state's No. 1 issue. Voters will finally get an opportunity to do something about the problem now that the Let's Fix Our Schools initiative, Proposition 26, is on the March 7 ballot.
The deteriorating state of schools has prompted Prop. 26 proponents to declare a state of emergency in California. Approximately 55 percent of California classrooms were built more than 30 years ago. Many of these classrooms now require significant repairs. Children attend schools with roofs that leak, water fountains that have rusted dry and plumbing that's inadequate. Throughout the Golden State, students swelter without air conditioning in the summer and shiver without adequate heating in the winter. Often, repairs of aging or dilapidated school facilities are left until they're a matter of urgency.
Many students are packed, like sardines, into campuses designed to house half the enrolled population. Even with year-round scheduling, double shifts and portable classrooms, many schools are bursting at the seams and unable to accommodate future growth. The California Department of Education estimates that the state will add more than 300,000 new students by 2002, bringing the total number of K-12 students to nearly 6 million.
Class size reduction has exacerbated the facilities shortage. Since 1996, districts have received state funding to pay for more teachers, but no extra money to provide enough permanent classrooms. To accommodate the ratio of 20 to 1, schools have taken desperate measures. Libraries, computer labs and science rooms have been eliminated in many districts to make room for extra classes.
CTA Vice President Barbara E. Kerr serves as co-chair of the Let's Fix Our Schools campaign.
More than 2 million students in California attend classes in temporary portables that resemble squatters' camps. California schools now look more like trailer parks than places of learning. New reports about the health hazards of portable classrooms add to concerns about the proliferation of temporary classrooms. Critics call the prefab structures "glue boxes," where fumes emitted from particle board walls and carpets can turn the air toxic. Poor air quality inside portables can lead to recurring colds, headaches, allergies, sinus problems and asthma attacks. The absence of a back door or window exit could turn portables into death traps in the event of a fire or other emergency.
California may be at the center of the global technological revolution, but too many classrooms are not equipped with the technology that students need.
A recent study by the U.S. General Accounting Office showed that the majority of California school officials surveyed in 1994-95 believed that their schools' infrastructure was "insufficient."
Studies show that school appearance does matter. Students who sit in classrooms with leaky ceilings, cracked floors, broken windows and faulty heating systems do not perform as well as students in state-of-the-art schools. They also get a clear message about the value their community places on education.
How can Californians meet the challenge of fixing schools?
The Let's Fix Our Schools initiative amends the California Constitution and Education Code to allow passage of local school bond issues with a simple majority - 50 percent plus one vote. Presently, a two-thirds super-majority of votes (66.7 percent) is required for a local school bond to pass. The super-majority threshold is beyond the reach of many communities. Knowing they lack the resources needed to achieve a two-thirds majority, 560 of California's 1,000 school districts have not even attempted to pass a school bond.
California is one of only seven states requiring a two-thirds majority of votes. This requirement has prevented hundreds of schools from being built and repaired, and allows the minority to dictate to the majority - even though the very concept of democracy is based upon majority rule. Statewide bonds for schools, prisons and other construction bonds require only a majority vote. Only local construction bonds currently require the two-thirds vote.
Proposition 1A funds alone cannot solve the school facilities crisis. Prop. 1A, approved by California voters in 1998, provides state matching funds, but districts lacking the ability to achieve the necessary two-thirds vote on local bonds may never receive any of those funds. By reducing the margin needed to pass local school bonds, school districts will have a better chance to qualify for a share of the $9.2 billion in matching state funds.
"The time to fix our schools is now," says CTA Vice President Barbara E. Kerr, co-chair of the campaign. "The urgency has been here forever. The neglect of our schools has to stop. Too many children have already missed the opportunity to learn in a decent school facility because of the two-thirds vote requirement. Too many students have gone all through school in crummy, dilapidated buildings. That's all they know. I don't want to see any more kids have to suffer. Proposition 26 will give communities the opportunity to do the right thing for their kids. It's crucial that it pass."
"I believe it is the most significant education reform in a generation," says Sen. Jack O'Connell, honorary campaign chair. "This measure is long overdue." He believes it will go a long way toward solving the school facilities crisis in our state and will enable communities to make an investment in the future.
School visitations have motivated O'Connell to work on eliminating the two-thirds requirement for over a decade. "On some tours, I have seen restrooms I would not walk into," he says. "I have seen computers damaged as a result of leaky roofs. There are schools in my own area where no more than one classroom at a time can plug a projector into a wall because the building is 80 years old. As for computers? Never mind computers.
"Studies have indicated that students do not learn as well in crowded classrooms," adds O'Connell. "Test scores are down. Discipline problems are up. The morale of teachers and students alike is not healthy. Our students need to have healthy, clean and safe facilities."
Backed by a coalition of businesses, public-interest groups, parent organizations and CTA, the Prop. 26 campaign hopes to raise $12 - $20 million for this crucial battle. CTA has donated $6 million to the cause, according to Kerr.
Silicon Valley executives recently pitched in more than $3 million, and have promised to match or exceed the amount raised by educators.
"If the business community and labor can form a coalition, we can create significant amounts of positive change, as opposed to the business community and labor fighting each other and creating a standstill," says Reed Hastings, CEO of NetFlix.com and co-chair of the campaign. The coalition is crucial, he says, because a well-educated workforce is essential to the continued growth of business and the economy in California.
"The first step is to build a climate so that education is perceived as an investment rather than a cost to the state," says Hastings. "As the economy continues to grow, and the role of technology increases, education becomes more important than ever when it comes to children participating in America's prosperous future. This initiative will help make sure our schools are modernized and equipped to meet the demands of the next century."
Hastings says he is optimistic that Prop. 26 will pass even though Californians have rejected the idea before. "Every vote counts," he says. "If we win, we will begin a climate of investment in public education. If we don't win, then it's clear that Californians are rejecting an increased investment in public education. The stakes are much higher than a majority vote."
As a businessman, Hastings is pleased with the accountability measures written into Prop. 26. The initiative requires that school districts give voters a specific list of projects to be built with bond money. Annual audits will be conducted to ensure that all money raised goes to improve or build facilities, not to pay for salaries or operating expenses.
Proposition 26 will not create new costs, says Kerr. The initiative merely provides a better opportunity for the majority of local voters to approve school bonds. In itself, it does not appropriate any new money or create any new taxes.
The Let's Fix Our Schools initiative is supported by a broad and diverse coalition of Californians. Dozens of parent, teacher, business, education, children's, police, labor and public interest organizations have signed on to the effort to pass the initiative because they believe good schools are the foundation for a healthy, growing economy. The supporters include the California State PTA, the League of Women Voters, the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Business Round-table, the California State Association of Counties, and the Congress of California Seniors, among many others.
While polls show that the majority of Californians are in favor of Prop. 26, it is crucial that education advocates rally to get out the vote, says CTA Vice President Kerr. "We need help, especially with phone banking," she says. "We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work. The future of our schools depends on it."
To get involved, contact the Let's Fix Our Schools Campaign Team, 1510 J St., Suite 115, Sacramento, CA 95814, or call (916) 554-0324.
