The infrastructure on public school campuses throughout California has the chance to be repaired and improved, but it will come at a cost of $10 billion in borrowed funds, should voters choose to pass Proposition 2.
Of the bond’s total amount, $1.5 billion would be set aside for community college facilities, according to The Sacramento Bee. The remaining $8.5 billion would go to the renovation of existing buildings, new construction, land purchases, career technical education facilities and charter schools.
The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board endorsed Proposition 2, noting, “There’s a growing backlog of more than $3 billion of school projects currently awaiting funding, about half of which are in the Los Angeles area.”
The Los Angeles Community College District alone has prepared a $10.2 billion budget for the 2024-2025 year.
Five bonds approved by Los Angeles voters in the last two decades have addressed LACCD campus facilities and infrastructure—Proposition A in 2001 ($1.2 billion), Proposition AA in 2003 ($980 million), Measure J in 2008 ($3.5 billion), Measure CC in 2016 ($3.3 billion) and Measure LA in 2022 ($5.3 billion). As recently as 2021, construction projects at Pierce continued to be funded from Proposition AA, Measure CC and Measure J bonds.
Various newer construction projects are in the works at Pierce, such as the Academic East and Academic West buildings and the Child Development Academic Facility. The $35 million Advanced Automotive Technology building on campus was completed in 2022.
The state of California and community college districts often share the cost of renovations and new construction, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), with the state using bond funding to cover its share and the individual district using local funds for its portion. The LAO lists general tax revenue as the source of repayment for Proposition 2.
If the proposition is passed, California community colleges can submit a list of their project priorities and specific ones would be selected by the Governor and Legislature for funding, according to LAO.
At the moment, California owes $80 billion in borrowed funds, according to CalMatters, and interest for another $10 billion bond will cost $8 billion over a 35-year repayment period, ABC7 noted.
Investing in education is a positive investment in society at large, and Californians should consider how the learning environments in state schools will impact the next generation of students. That’s why voters should pass Prop. 2
