Bond Measure

The Huntington Beach City School District will once again ask voters for $30 million to fix crumbling schools. School board members agreed Tuesday night, before a crowd of more than 100 supportive parents and community members to put a school bond measure before voters in March. Trustees voted unanimously in favor of the proposed bond, with board member Brian Rechsteiner absent. If approved the measure will improve the quality of education, by repairing existing schools, replacing 35-year-old roofs and classroom heating and ventilation systems at deteriorating district schools, said Supt.

When the Newport-Mesa Unified School District voted unanimously last week to approve a $282-million bond measure -- recently christened Measure F -- some in the community furrowed their brows at the plan for more site renovations. The Measure A bond, approved in 2000, allotted $110 million to clean and upgrade Newport-Mesa's schools, a construction project that is still continuing, with completion expected within two years. Those who helped to conceive Measure A claim that even as the district laid out that plan, it foresaw a second round in the future.

I do not think the school district should attempt another school bond measure. MAUREEN SHRUBSOLE Huntington Beach I would support a school bond measure if the city school district puts one on the March ballot. DOROTHY NEWBROUGH Huntington Beach I strongly support the school bond issue. A well-funded and strong school system is not only important for the future of our state and country, but it also keeps the property values up in our neighborhoods.

District endorses Measure C The Huntington Beach City School District's Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night to endorse the high school district's school repair bond measure. Measure C, slated to appear on the March ballot, would raise $228 million for maintenance at schools in the Huntington Union High School District if approved by voters. Voters will find that Measure C is not the only bond measure up for a public approval. Two statewide measures will also be on the ballot.

One of the ways an observer can tell an issue is foundering for lack of merit is when its proponents invoke the "it's for the children" argument. This Steve Bone did in a guest commentary piece on Oct. 28 ("A 'Yes' vote is a vote for students' future"). The school bond issue is not about students. If it were, the district would never have allowed our schools to get in such a decrepit state. The bond is about adults. In fact, it is a bailout for adults who don't want to be held accountable for their neglect of the students' welfare over the past two decades.

Angelique Flores ISSUE: BOND MEASURE Vote: 5-0 Summary: The school board voted Tuesday to begin developing a resolution to place a bond measure on the ballot. The bond would raise funds for the construction and improvement of school facilities. About $56.5 million is needed for such projects as the replacement of heating and air-conditioning systems in the district, water and sewer upgrades, roof replacement, and electrical upgrades. The action is not a formal commitment but will enable administrators to develop a resolution for the trustees to consider.

Jennifer K Mahal The close vote on Proposition 26 will not keep the Huntington Beach Union High School District from trying to float a bond measure in the future, but it might affect the decision of the Huntington Beach City School District, officials said. Proposition 26, which received 48.8% of the votes counted statewide Wednesday morning, would have changed the threshold for passing school improvement bonds from a two-thirds margin to a simple majority.

Angelique Flores HUNTINGTON BEACH -- A recent survey shows residents strongly support a bond measure to help Huntington Beach City School District repair its schools. The survey sampled 400 registered voters within the district boundaries, and the results were released May 3. The 15-minute telephone interviews conducted in March by Price Research showed that more than 70% of the respondents would support a bond measure. Furthermore, 70.5% said they would support a maximum 30-year, $16-per-year raise in property taxes to pay for the bond.

The Huntington Beach City School Board gave the administration the go ahead this week to begin development of a resolution to call for an election to raise funds for the construction and improvement of school facilities. During the past two years, about $56.5 million in school and classroom improvement projects were identified through a series of staff and community meetings conducted at each school. As might be expected in facilities that are more than 30 years old, needs include such projects as repair and replacement of heating and air conditioning systems, water and sewer upgrades, roof replacement and electrical upgrades to accommodate modern technology.

With the Newport-Mesa Unified School District having approved a November ballot measure to fund more campus renovations, the community soon may be reliving recent history. Five years ago, voters in the district passed Measure A -- a $110-million bond measure to pay for the cleaning and repair of school sites -- by a resounding 72%. That followed months of intense campaigning by supporters and strong opposition from several anti-tax groups. Those same groups are still in town, and few, if any, have changed their position on taxpayers footing the bill for school repairs.

The Ocean View School District Board of Trustees has voted to place a bond measure on the November ballot that, if passed, would allow the district to upgrade its aging infrastructure and bring the schools up to current standards, school officials said. The board voted 4 to 1 on July 17 to place the measure on the ballot, which will cost property owners in the school district no more than $27 per $100,000 on assessed property value, said district Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Mark Schiel.

A state bond measure slated to go before voters in the next general election would allot at least $20 million for protection and restoration of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. The Legislature passed the $11.1-billion package, known as the Safe, Clean and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010 on Nov. 4. The act seeks to overhaul the state’s water system to ensure safe drinking water and a reliable water supply. Among the goals earmarked in the measure are the preservation of Bolsa Chica and its adjacent uplands as well as interpretive centers on the property.

o7Here are some items the board will consider at tonight's meeting: f7 MEASURE F COMMITTEES The school board will vote to establish two committees regarding Measure F, the $282-million bond measure. The first, required by state law, is a citizens' oversight committee to review the district's plans for spending the bond money. The committee will consist of 31 members -- far more than the state requirement of seven -- hailing from different locations and community groups.

One of the greatest supporters of the Measure F school renovation bond campaign is not a board member or a teacher or even a parent of a school-age child. He is an environmental and community activist -- and despite the many construction vehicles that will undoubtedly be required to modernize all of Newport-Mesa's schools, he sees the project as a boon to the local community. The reason is simple: Douglas Bader, the Costa Mesa resident who providing office space for the Measure F campaign team's headquarters, believes that Orange County youths aren't getting enough exercise.

The old campus hall, which once stood as the center of life at Newport Harbor High School, now appears almost tomblike, with debris scattered across the floor and the meager light through windows leaving some corridors almost pitch dark. The theater in back, once the main performing arts complex in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, has sat empty for more than two years, its exit signs still glowing and its electricity in service. The clock tower, for 75 years a symbol of Sailor pride, still looks over 15th Street, but the concrete inside has decayed to the point that a visitor could peel it off the walls.

When the Newport-Mesa Unified School District voted unanimously last week to approve a $282-million bond measure -- recently christened Measure F -- some in the community furrowed their brows at the plan for more site renovations. The Measure A bond, approved in 2000, allotted $110 million to clean and upgrade Newport-Mesa's schools, a construction project that is still continuing, with completion expected within two years. Those who helped to conceive Measure A claim that even as the district laid out that plan, it foresaw a second round in the future.

With the Newport-Mesa Unified School District having approved a November ballot measure to fund more campus renovations, the community soon may be reliving recent history. Five years ago, voters in the district passed Measure A -- a $110-million bond measure to pay for the cleaning and repair of school sites -- by a resounding 72%. That followed months of intense campaigning by supporters and strong opposition from several anti-tax groups. Those same groups are still in town, and few, if any, have changed their position on taxpayers footing the bill for school repairs.

Van Riley On March 2, the voters of the Huntington Beach Union High School District approved Measure C, a bond measure that will greatly improve the conditions at our district's six high schools, the continuation high school, alternative high school and adult school. For years we have been applying band-aids to whatever repair was needed at the moment and using grants and state bond funds to fix the most critical of the repairs. But, we were never able to keep up. Most of our high schools are more than three decades old and have experienced years of wear and tear from generations of high school students.

Andrew Edwards Huntington Beach Union High School District narrowly gained the votes needed to repair its aging facilities Tuesday night, garnering 57.8% of the vote. "We made it," said Susan Henry, co-chair of the pro-Measure C campaign committee and school board member, triumphantly. "We're thrilled, obviously. Now, we can go back to real life." School officials gathered at the home of school board President Michael Simons, who co-chaired the Measure C campaign committee.

Yes on Measure C for classroom repair I'm a 28-year resident of Huntington Beach and the parent of a Huntington Beach High School student. I support Measure C to repair, improve and expand classrooms in the Huntington Beach Union High School District, which includes Coast, Edison, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Marina, Ocean View, Valley Vista and Westminster high schools, as well as the Huntington Beach Adult School. All of our high schools are more than 35 years old. As with most structures, these schools require major upgrades and repairs.