Over the weekend, the East Bay Times published an article about the implementation of Proposition 51. Read the full article below.

Now that Proposition 51 Passed, When Will the School Construction Dollars Start to Flow?

~ CASH Staff

The State Allocation Board (SAB) met today and approved the consent only agenda. The consent agenda included Facility Hardship projects and close out items.

There was no discussion of the passage of Proposition 51. We expect some discussion of Proposition 51 implementation at the January SAB meeting.

CASH will be discussing implementation issues at the Proposition 51 Post-Election Debriefing workshop which will be held at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento on December 12, 2016.

To register for the workshop, please use the following link: https://www.cashnet.org/meetings/2016_Workshops/SpecialDecember2016Workshop.htm.

~ CASH Staff

Thank you for your continued support of Prop 51 and safe schools for our students. With your help, the Proposition 51 campaign has gained broad and diverse support throughout the state of California.

In addition to our TV spots featuring a teacher and a school nurse, our “Sí a la Prop 51” video with former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been running on Univision.com to engage our Spanish speaking audience.

You can watch and share Mayor Villaraigosa’s Spanish-language video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/DX0pis6T360

From now until Election Day the videos will be running on Univision.com. Take a look at today’s ads on the Los Angeles homepage!

http://www.univision.com/los-angeles/kmex

Let’s continue to urge our contacts to vote Yes on 51 to repair and upgrade older schools, keeping the promise of a quality education in California. Please continue to show your support by sharing a link to Mayor Villaraigosa’s video and using our hashtag, #YesOn51.

“In November, California taxpayers will have a number of initiatives to consider, including one – Proposition 51 – that will make an important investment in California’s aging school facilities.

California’s schools are showing their age. Approximately 30 percent are more than 50 years old, and many need major renovations to meet basic health and safety standards. Also, many counties are growing, and need new schools that are well-equipped to prepare students to enter the workforce or the higher education system.

Proposition 51, a state school facilities bond, will help school districts fix and repair outdated schools and build new schools where needed. The measure will replenish the School Facility Program Fund so that districts can access matching state funds and protect local taxpayers from higher taxes…

If Proposition 51 isn’t approved, how will school districts meet their needs? Through local tax increases on property owners – taxes that hurt communities, harm small businesses and increase housing costs for working families, renters, and homeowners…

Proposition 51 is a far better solution. It continues the existing partnership between the state and local communities to invest in school infrastructure, which ultimately will protect taxpayers, create jobs and ensure that all children have access to schools that can meet their educational needs.

The California Taxpayers Association has joined more than 400 diverse and respected organizations and elected officials throughout the state to support Proposition 51. Supporters include the California Chamber of Commerce, the California State PTA, California State Firefighters, the California Democratic Party, the California Republican Party and much more.

CalTax urges you to vote “yes” on Proposition 51, to invest in California schools the smart way.”

Read the full article here at The OC Register website.

Teresa Casazza is president and chief executive officer of the California Taxpayers Association, a nonprofit, nonpartisan association that has been advocating for taxpayers since 1926.

To learn more about this vital measure, please visit YesOn51.com.

“…The bond issue would make $3 billion available in state matching grants for new school construction. More important to communities that have seen declines in student populations, it would provide $3 billion for districts to renovate, update and modernize older schools. There’s money for charter schools, community colleges, and technical education programs.

Don’t doubt the need is dire. A Modesto City Schools study put the district’s capital facilities needs at $1 billion. That’s probably vastly overstated, but the need is clear. So is the need for modernization on most campuses.

Too many Valley districts are forced into choosing between making repairs keep students safe and investing in the updates and innovations that will prepare students for 21st-century jobs. By necessity, those choices veer toward safety and away from a better future.

If Proposition 51 passes, 24 school districts in Stanislaus, south San Joaquin, and Tuolumne counties will be eligible to benefit. In Merced and Mariposa counties, another eight districts will be eligible. Combined, it could mean $149 million in new facilities for the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

In Stanislaus County, there are six school bond measures on the ballot this November; all will make a good case for matching funds if Proposition 51 passes.

…Both the California Democratic and Republican parties endorse Proposition 51 along with the California Chamber of Commerce, California Labor Federation, and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

We can never be certain our legislature will ever get around to helping us prepare for the students we are certain will be arriving. Vote yes on Proposition 51; California’s 6.2 million students are depending on it.”

Read the full article here at The Modesto Bee website.

From Los Angeles to San Francisco to Sacramento and back again, public policy officials have been wailing over California’s housing shortage and resulting high prices.

Median-priced California homes cost $469,000. More Californians rent than do residents of any other state except New York. Even a parking space in San Francisco costs $500 a month. The law of supply-and-demand insists a building boom is imminent. If the past is a prelude, that boom will echo throughout the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

Consider: a house payment in San Francisco consumes 95 percent of a resident’s median income. But in Merced County it’s only 40 percent. In Stanislaus County it’s 44 and San Joaquin 51. We’ve always been a magnet for Bay Area families seeking affordable housing; when the next wave arrives, many will have children in tow. And those children will need schools.

Which brings us to Proposition 51.

The bond issue would make $3 billion available in state matching grants for new school construction. More important to communities that have seen declines in student populations, it would provide $3 billion for districts to renovate, update and modernize older schools. There’s money for charter schools, community colleges, and technical education programs.

Don’t doubt the need is dire. A Modesto City Schools study put the district’s capital facilities needs at $1 billion. That’s probably vastly overstated, but the need is clear. So is the need for modernization on most campuses.

Too many Valley districts are forced into choosing between making repairs to keep students safe and investing in the updates and innovations that will prepare students for 21st-century jobs. By necessity, those choices veer toward safety and away from a better future.

If Proposition 51 passes, 24 school districts in Stanislaus, south San Joaquin, and Tuolumne counties will be eligible to benefit. In Merced and Mariposa counties, another eight districts will be eligible. Combined, it could mean $149 million in new facilities for the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

In Stanislaus County, there are six school bond measures on the ballot this November; all will make a good case for matching funds if Proposition 51 passes.

Gov. Jerry Brown and others say this bond adds too much to the state’s debt; that enrollments are declining. Others say bonds are not the best way to fund school construction and renovation. But such bonds are precisely how we’ve funded school buildings for the past 100 years. And the last initiative to fund matching grants for school construction has expired; there’s no bond money left – even though interest rates are at historic lows, making such construction more affordable.

We’ve been begging our legislature to fix our roads, fund water storage and help us clean up our region’s dirty air. But little happens. Asked to address this problem, the legislature punted. Perhaps that’s why Californians so frequently turn to the ballot box to fix problems that matter.

Both the California Democratic and Republican parties endorse Proposition 51 along with the California Chamber of Commerce, California Labor Federation, and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

We can never be certain our legislature will ever get around to helping us prepare for the students we are certain will be arriving. Vote yes on Proposition 51; California’s 6.2 million students are depending on it.

Read more here: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/opinion/editorials/article107990527.html#storylink=cpy

Yes on Prop 51 Campaign Announces Endorsement From State Treasurer Chiang

Today, the Yes on Proposition 51 campaign announced that California State Treasurer John Chiang has endorsed the state school facilities bond on the November ballot. Proposition 51 will provide new bonding authority to help districts bring school facilities up to basic and health safety standards, complete major renovations to aging facilities like seismic retrofits and the removal of hazardous material and build new schools where needed.

“Our kids deserve schools where they can be safe and succeed,” said Chiang. It’s been 10 years since we passed a statewide school bond, and Prop 51 will repair and upgrade older schools, relieve classroom overcrowding and make sure all schools meet basic health and safety standards. It is the right way to repair and upgrade schools while protecting taxpayers.”

To date, Prop 51 has received the endorsements of Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the California Taxpayers Association, the California State PTA, the League of Women Voters of California, the California Chamber of Commerce and 18 local Chambers of Commerce, elected officials from both sides of the aisle, both the California Democratic and Republican state parties, and more than 170 school districts. The full list of endorsements can be found here.

Because the last statewide school facilities bond was passed by California voters in 2006, there currently is a backlog of almost $2 billion in K-12 project applications and almost $500 million in priority community college projects. There is a pressing need to act now. With estimates projecting that K-14 schools will need $20 billion over the next decade to complete renovations and build new schools where there is growth, Prop 51 will provide $9 billion in matching state grant funds to help school districts meet future needs.

Many schools and community colleges are outdated and need repairs to meet basic health and safety standards and upgrade facilities to meet modern student educational needs– including science labs, improved school technology, and facilities that support career technical education programs in both community colleges and K-12 schools.  Prop 51 will help make sure local schools are updated and safe for students.

For more information on Proposition 51, visit www.YesOn51.com.

Yes on Prop 51 Campaign Announces Endorsement From the California State Assembly Speaker 

Today, the Yes on Proposition 51 campaign announced that California State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D- Paramount) has endorsed the state school facilities bond on the November ballot. Proposition 51 will provide new bonding authority to help districts bring school facilities up to basic and health safety standards, complete major renovations to aging facilities like seismic retrofits and the removal of hazardous material and build new schools where needed.

“Our schools desperately need Proposition 51 to fix and update aging schools. Vote on Proposition 51 to make sure we can continue to serve our students and teachers by providing quality teaching and learning environments,” said Speaker Rendon. “Without matching state grant funds, many schools across California will shelve repairs, renovation and improvement projects, or face astronomical increases in local taxes and fees that would be devastating to our schools, neighborhoods, and communities. Join me in supporting our kids and educators for better and safer schools.”

To date, Prop 51 has received the endorsements of Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the California Taxpayers Association, the California Chamber of Commerce and 18 local chambers of commerce, elected officials from both sides of the aisle, both the California Democratic and Republican state parties, and more than 170 school districts. The full list of endorsements can be found here.

Because the last statewide school facilities bond was passed by California voters in 2006, there currently is a backlog of almost $2 billion in K-12 project applications and almost $500 million in priority community college projects. There is a pressing need to act now. With estimates projecting that K-14 schools will need $20 billion over the next decade to complete renovations and build new schools where there is growth, Prop 51 will provide $9 billion in matching state grant funds to help school districts meet future needs.

Many schools and community colleges are outdated and need repairs to meet basic health and safety standards and upgrade facilities to meet modern student educational needs– including science labs, improved school technology, and facilities that support career technical education programs in both community colleges and K-12 schools.  Prop 51 will help make sure local schools are updated and safe for students.

For more information on Proposition 51, visit www.YesOn51.com.

YES ON PROP 51 CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT FROM FORMER
LOS ANGELES MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA

LOS ANGELES, CA —The Yes on Proposition 51 campaign today announced that former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has endorsed the measure and will be barnstorming California to promote the need for this state school facilities bond.

“Our children deserve a learning environment free from asbestos, lead paint, and classrooms with properly working air conditioners, heating units, and functioning ventilation systems,” Villaraigosa said. “With an over $2 billion backlog of crucial repairs and upgrades, our children can’t wait anymore. Schools need to be up to basic health and safety standards.”

He said that polls show voters heavily supportive of the measure once they are made aware of its provisions.

“The goal from now until November 8 is to communicate to voters, especially those in the Latino community, about the value, need and broad bipartisan support for this measure,” he said. “I appreciate the opportunity to offer my assistance in promoting this truly critical school bond to California voters.”

Prop 51 will provide $9 billion in matching state grant funds to help local districts bring school facilities up to basic and health safety standards, and complete such major renovations to aging school buildings as seismic retrofits and the removal of hazardous material like asbestos or lead pipes. It also authorizes the construction of new schools were needed to relieve overcrowding.

“Education is the first rung on any ladder to success and we cannot allow our children to face the added obstacle of trying to learn in conditions that are not safe or up-to-date. Proposition 51 levels the playing field for our school districts that serve our communities, by providing our kids with clean, modern classrooms and facilities,” added Villaraigosa.

Many schools and community colleges are outdated and need repairs to meet basic health and safety standards and upgrade facilities to meet student education needs– including science labs, improved school technology, and facilities that support career technical education programs in both community colleges and K-12 schools. Prop 51 will help make sure local schools are updated and safe for students.

To date, Prop 51 has received the endorsements of Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the California Taxpayers Association, the California Chamber of Commerce and 18 local chambers of commerce, elected officials from both sides of the aisle, both the California Democratic and Republican state parties, and more than 170 school districts. The full list of endorsements can be found here.

Not Anymore Under Governor Jerry Brown

By George Skelton | October 3, 2016

It’s a sign of our contentious times and California’s contrarian governor that people are even bickering over routine state school construction bonds.

Selling state bonds to help local districts build new schools and modernize old ones used to be about as controversial as motherhood and apple pie. No longer.

Practically everything these days seems politically divisive.

Proposition 51 on the November state ballot is a low-profile issue for most voters, one of those wonky eye-glazers. But behind the scenes, the ballot initiative has stirred turmoil, mainly because of Gov. Jerry Brown.

Brown is bothered by the whole state school bond system. He thinks it’s too favorable to large and financially stable districts and is unfair toward smaller and poorer ones.

That’s vintage Brown. He tends to give middle-class districts short shrift and prioritizes spending on disadvantaged schools. That’s apparently a holdover from his early monk life as a Jesuit seminarian.

Proposition 51 would authorize $9 billion in state school bonds. Specifically, it would provide $3 billion for new construction, $3 billion for modernization, $2 billion for community colleges, plus $1 billion for charter schools and vocational education facilities.

In the K-12 schools, local voters must authorize district bonds for a specific project. Then the local money is matched by the state. Generally, the state pays for half of new construction and 60% of modernization.

For community colleges, there’s no set local contribution. But the more local funding there is, the better the odds of obtaining state money.

Right now, there’s virtually no state money for any school facilities. And there’s a big backlog of projects that need funding.

Unless the state kitty is soon replenished, some projects will be scrapped. Others will be bankrolled by greatly jacking up developer fees on new housing. That, in turn, will escalate the cost of new houses in a state where home buying is increasingly  unaffordable for many.

Generally, new school construction winds up being financed one-third each by local property taxpayers, developers, and the state.

It’s why home builders are financing Proposition 51. They want to avoid paying higher developer fees and trying to pass them on to buyers.

Dave Cogdill, president of the California Building Industry Assn., says the increased fees would raise new home prices statewide, on average, by $10,000 to $15,000. But, depending on the area, the boosts could range from $5,000 to $40,000.

“For those who believe that somehow it’s going to come out of developers’ profits, that’s not how it works,” Cogdill says. “If it doesn’t pencil out, it’s not going to get built.”

Normally, the Legislature and the governor would have placed the bond proposal on the ballot. But they balked. So the builders paid for signature collecting to qualify the initiative.

Cogdill says they’ll spend around $10 million on the campaign.

Opponents aren’t raising anything. Brown has more pressing priorities. And that’s a big reason why he and the Legislature never got around to handling the bond topic in the Capitol.

Back in 2012, says Cogdill, a former state Senate Republican leader, builders asked Brown to support a school bond measure. But the governor was focused on the budget deficit and trying to persuade voters to approve his income tax increase on the wealthy.

“He said, ‘That’s all I want to deal with,’” Cogdill recalls. “We said, ‘We understand. We’re willing to help you.’ And we became the first business organization to support Prop. 30.”

Then in 2014, Brown was running for reelection and didn’t want any borrowing measure on the ballot with him, Cogdill says. Because of the drought, however, the governor was forced to accept a water bond.

Meanwhile that year, a school bond was sailing through the Legislature. It passed the Assembly and three Senate committees without a single “no” vote, 127-0. But Brown made sure it died before reaching the Senate floor.

“We had several long meetings with the governor’s staff,” says former AssemblywomanJoan Buchanan (D-Alamo), the bill’s author. “But the governor never came up with anything concrete. I think it’s because he’s just philosophically against bonds — unless for a [bullet] train or [delta water] tunnel.”

Brown began critiquing the state’s school bond system in writing.

Districts now can pass their own bonds on a 55% local vote, he pointed out. School enrollments are expected to decline. The state already is paying $2.7 billion annually on K-12 and community college bonds and the latest proposal would add $500 million. The current system favors schools that can afford full-time staffs to lobby for bond money.

This year, there was some effort to negotiate a compromise on a smaller bond. But talks broke down. They seemed half-hearted anyway. Both sides claimed they were stiffed.

One certain truth: The California Teachers Assn. and other sponsors of Proposition 55 to extend the “temporary” Proposition 30 tax hike feared that a school bond proposal would compete with them for the pro-education vote.

Brown says Proposition 51 “is a blunderbuss effort that promotes sprawl and squanders money that would be far better spent in low-income communities.”

OK, but the governor and the Legislature have had four years to fix whatever flaws they perceive. And they’ve failed.

It’s time to replenish the pot.