CALIFORNIA, USA — Proposition 2 would provide $8.5 billion to K-12 schools and $1.5 billion to community colleges to renovate, fix and construct facilities.
The money would be distributed through matching grants, with the state paying a greater share of costs for less affluent districts and those with higher numbers of English learners and foster youth. Some of the money would be set aside for removing lead from water, creating transitional kindergarten classrooms and building career and technical education facilities.
Why is it on the ballot?
Thousands of California school buildings are in poor shape, with leaky roofs, broken air conditioning, peeling paint and other health and safety hazards. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, 38% of students attend schools that don’t meet the state’s minimum safety standards. Research has shown that students who attend school in sub-standard facilities tend to have lower attendance rates, lower morale and lower achievement.
Unlike many other states, California does not pay for school repairs through a permanent funding stream. Money comes entirely from state and local bonds. The state’s last school facilities bond, a $15 billion proposal in 2020, failed, leaving the state’s school repair account nearly empty.
Affluent school districts can raise more money for repairs through local bonds because local property values are higher, thereby generating more money through local property taxes. Smaller and lower-income districts struggle to raise enough bond money to pay for school repairs, and often can’t pass local bonds at all. As a result, they rely entirely on state bond money.
For more on Proposition 2, click HERE.
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