School Board Weighs Timing of Proposed Bond Measure

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified school board agreed Wednesday to continue a discussion about whether to put a $385 million proposed bond measure on November's ballot.

said he first wants to make sure the proposed measure has enough support from local groups before the board puts it to a vote, which is expected at the Aug. 1 meeting in Malibu.

“This is going to be a critical couple of weeks in terms of building consensus and pulling together an actionable plan. I get the sense the board’s action will be determined by the work of the next couple of weeks,” Allen said.

The proposed bond, which would cost home owners $185 per year for up to 30 years (and possibly more for property owners in Malibu), would only be used for public works projects and facility improvements. The money could not be used to fund teacher or other employee salaries.

At issue is the timing of placing the bond on the same November ballot as Gov. Jerry Brown's Proposition 30 and activist Molly Munger's Proposition 38. If both tax initiatives do not pass, the school district could face up to $10 million in next year.

If both state measures fail, the district would be forced to put a parcel tax on the ballot this spring to meet operational expenses, according to estimates by the district.

Los Angeles County has to receive the request to put the proposed bond on the ballot by Aug. 10. The board needs five affirmative votes to send the measure to the county.

Two board members—Jose Escarce and Nimish Patel—said they were leaning against not supporting the bond measure. Board member Oscar de la Torre was not present.

Both Escarce and Patel agreed that the timing of the bond measure is sensitive because of the state propositions and the potential local parcel tax.

“Voters have short memories, but they remember how many times you approach them saying ‘This time we really need it,'” Patel said.

He said that if the two state propositions do not pass, he wants to save momentum for the parcel tax, which could be needed as early as this spring.

“I want to hit the ground running. Then failure won’t be an option and we have to succeed,” Patel said.

Escarce said the district has no control on what happens with the statewide propositions in November, and he feels he cannot support putting the bond on the ballot at this time.

“If I had to decide tonight, I would vote to not put the bond on,” Escarce said, adding that he wants to give a parcel tax, which would go toward the district's operating expenses, the best chance in 2013. Both men said they would keep their minds open until the Aug. 1 vote.

Laurie Liberman, vice chair of the board, said this is a unique opportunity to ask voters to support local schools.

“We have not adequately supported our facilities in years,” Liberman said.

She said there are $93 million worth of future needs for the elementary schools alone.

“The only way to fund facilities, including technology, is through a local bond measure,” Liberman said.

She said the time will likely not ever be right for a bond measure.

“I don’t really buy the arguments that we should wait. I don’t think the right time will ever come. It’s not perfect. I don’t see it getting better,” Liberman said.

During the public comments portion of the meeting, Karen Farrer of Malibu read a letter out loud from Craig Foster, of Advocates for Malibu Public Schools, asking why a Malibu representative was not included in the discussions around the bond measure. ()

"If you want our support, you need to give us reasons to give you that support. You need to reach out to us. You need to give us a persuasive value proposition and then ask for our support. You have completely failed to do any of that," Foster said in the letter.

He asked that the item be placed on the agenda for the meeting in two weeks.

"If you wish to have Malibu’s support, you need to ask for that support on our soil and in our time frame," Foster wrote.

Sarah Braff, vice president of the Santa Monica Malibu Classroom Teachers Association, said she believes there are too many propositions on the ballot.

“That’s a lot of propositions about education, all of which are complex. It is really wrong at this time to do this. We need to wait,” Braff said.

To pass, the bond would need 55 percent voter approval. A parcel tax would need two-thirds approval, according to the school district.

Shari Davis, who was part of a citizen feasibility committee about the bond, said she believes the responsibility of funding facility improvements lies with the community.

“I do think it is very doable. I urge you to put this bond on the ballot in November,” Davis said.

Many other people spoke at the meeting. Feel free to jump in and share your perspective on this issue.