Action required as the future of school facilities bond is in jeopardy
Call your Senators and Governor TODAY to express support for AB 2235
Published: August 13, 2014
Monday’s hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on AB 2235 (Buchanan, D-Alamo), the school facilities bond measure targeted for the November ballot, shed more light on just how difficult the next couple of days will be for the bill. With a deadline of tonight to place a bond on the November ballot, the Department of Finance expressed opposition for the Brown Administration and Appropriations Committee Chair Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles) cited serious concerns about how the split of bond proceeds between new construction and modernization favored suburban districts over urban districts. At the same time, higher education representatives were told publically that if there is to be a bond, it is likely to only fund K-12 facilities. While the details of how money will be allocated is an easier fix to many observers, overcoming opposition from the Administration presents an even higher hurdle that may not be salvageable.
In conversations with Administration officials and CSBA Tuesday evening, it became more obvious that the focus of the Governor and legislators is the water bond, which leaves little time to figure out the details of a school bond. Demands from Senate Democrats include more money for modernization projects, streamlining the application and approval process, more self-certification of projects; none of which would be a problem for CSBA to support. However, the Administration is rumored to be interested in prioritizing state bond money to districts that have lower assessed valuation than other districts; an issue that CSBA has concerns about, especially since this issue will not be aired publically before being placed into the bill.
The Governor has previously questioned the state’s role in school construction altogether. Even with unanimous support for the bond so far in the legislative process, all of the demands being placed on AB 2235 at this point in time are making it difficult to get agreement, especially with the focus of decision makers being on the water bond. With the possibility for a November bond slipping away, schools might have to wait until 2016.
If there is any hope of getting a bond on the November ballot, it will come from a last minute effort of calls to Senators and the Governor (916-445-2841) demanding a school bond. School board members, superintendents, and others who support AB 2235 are urged to contact their Senators and the Governor immediately to express support for the bill. Those districts with projects pending before the State Allocation Board and those with their own upcoming bond elections need to be first in line to make those calls because those plans could be in serious jeopardy. AB 2235 is strongly supported by home builders, education labor, building trades organizations, PTA and the chamber of commerce. Making calls to local representatives in these organizations should be the next call after school board members call Sacramento. Those calls need to be made today.
Last week, CSBA participated in a press conference in support of AB 2235 calling on the Governor’s support for this bond. “All we ask,” said CSBA President-Elect Jesus Holguin, “is that the bill be placed before the voters to give them an opportunity to decide.”