A broad-based and rapidly growing coalition is reaching out to voters, explaining how Proposition 47, the statewide school bond measure on the November ballot, will meet a growing need for more classrooms throughout the state.
Already overcrowded school districts are facing nearly a million new students with too few classrooms to meet the need, say the leaders of the Yes on 47 for Accountability and Better Schools campaign. Making the situation worse, many of the classrooms that do exist are in serious disrepair.
The state's independent legislative analyst found "about one in three California school children attends an overcrowded school or a school needing modernization."
Prop. 47 would authorize a $13.05 billion bond to build more classrooms, make safety repairs and upgrade California's elementary, middle and high schools, community colleges and universities.
Jan Harp Domene, president of the California State PTA, says Prop. 47 is designed to help meet the needs of school districts of all sizes throughout the state. "We need more than 46,000 new classrooms to reduce overcrowding and accommodate expected enrollment. Prop. 47 ensures every overcrowded school district is eligible for its fair share of these matching funds to build new classrooms."
Larry McCarthy, president of the California Taxpayers' Association, says Prop. 47 will deliver thousands of overdue school construction and repair projects without raising taxes.
"We support Prop. 47 because it holds school districts responsible for the proper expenditure of funds. This money cannot be spent on bureaucracy or wasteful overhead. It can only be used for school construction. In addition, projects will have to comply with strict accountability requirements, including mandatory audits, to safeguard against waste and mismanagement."
Prop. 47 funds will fix leaky roofs, repair broken bathrooms, upgrade inadequate electrical and fire alarm systems, install heaters and air conditioning, and improve earthquake safety.
"Students can't learn and teachers can't teach in an atmosphere that is uncomfortable at best and unsafe at worst," says CTA President Wayne Johnson.
"Prop. 47 will also provide funds to update classroom technology and computers our kids need to meet academic standards and compete in the modern workforce."
Unlike local school bonds, Prop. 47 requires a simple majority vote for passage. It will benefit local school districts by supplying the necessary matching funds to complete the construction and repair projects targeted by local bonds.