State Bond Measure Would Authorize $15 Billion for School Construction

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John Fensterwald. Photo by Laura Wenus // Public Press.

A California proposition on the March ballot would issue $15 billion in state bonds for facilities construction at public schools. The measure got onto the ballot after the legislature and governor approved Assembly Bill 48, which stipulated that funding be prioritized for schools with the biggest health and safety needs, like those with lead-contaminated water.
In general, the measure would allocate $6 billion for higher education institutions including the University of California, California State University and community colleges. The remaining $9 billion would go to K-12 schools. John Fensterwald, a staff writer at EdSource, explains how districts will be prioritized for funding, and addresses confusion that has arisen over the measure’s number designation and implications for property taxes.

“This is a state construction bond. It will be funded through the general fund, it will repay the principal and the interest over time out of the state operating revenue, and our property taxes don’t go towards that.” — John Fensterwald

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