SUPPORT
Proposition 47 - Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2002
Legislative Bond Act

This bond measure will allow the state to sell $13.05 billion of general obligation bonds to provide funding for a variety of projects to build, repair and modernize K-12 schools ($11.4billion) and higher education facilities ($1.65 billion).

The bond measure will address the needs of rural and inner-city districts, large and small districts, suburban districts with surplus land and districts where open space is hard to find. Money will be provided for construction and improvements for low-scoring and critically overcrowded schools. Money is divided between 'backlog' projects, for which districts had previously submitted applications, and new projects. K-12 construction and improvement projects require local matching funds.

This will be the first of two bond acts that attempt to adequately fund the projects needed by districts, saving districts from having to compete against each other for such funds.

The Legislative Analyst estimates that the cost to repay principal and interest over 30 years would be about $26.2 billion, with an average payment of about $873 million per year. (See "Looking at Bond Measures".)

This bond measure was placed on the ballot by the Legislature and signed by the Governor.

The state provides 50 percent of the money for new construction and 60 percent for approved modernization projects. California voters passed a school bond four years ago, but that money is depleted. In the past decade, voters have approved $11.5 billion in K-12 construction bonds, but only about $500 million of that remains for expenditure.

Many districts have passed local school bonds and are waiting for matching funds from the state. They are ready to start construction and will be able to start building immediately.

The building needs of the state were estimated in May 2002 to be for housing for 1.2 million pupils and modernization for an additional 1.2 million students, at an approximate cost of $20 billion.

Proposition 47 provides $1.65 billion towards the estimated $4.4 billion in capital outlay projects planned by California's institutes of higher education for the period of 2003 through 2007.

• Proposition 47 will build new schools to relieve overcrowding, accommodate expected increases in enrollment and provide classrooms to keep our class sizes and schools smaller. It is estimated that California needs more than 13,000 new classrooms, or 331 new schools, simply to accommodate new students. It would take 46,000 new classrooms, or 1,175 new schools, to also address overcrowding in our schools.
  
  
• Proposition 47 will provide funds to repair and renovate our old and outdated schools. Some schools in California have seen three generations of students without being renovated. More than 60 percent of K-12 schools are over 25 years old. It is time to fix our school buildings - leaky roofs, bathroom facilities and fire alarm systems must be repaired so our children can learn in comfort and safety.
  
  
• Proposition 47 will be fairly distributed to the schools with overcrowding and low performing schools. There will not be competition for the funds as in the past.
  
  
• Proposition 47 will help ensure that our school facilities are improved to meet earthquake and fire standards.
  
  
• Proposition 47 provides money to wire our classrooms and give our students access to the technology they need to be prepared for the future.
  
  
• Proposition 47 must adhere to the tough accountability standards contained in Proposition 39, passed by voters in November 2000. School districts will have to provide audits and continuing access to information on exactly how the bond money is being spent.
  
  
• Proposition 47 funds can only be spent on building or renovating schools, not on overhead or bureaucracy.
  
  
• Projects must exceed the minimum standards for energy efficiency in nonresidential buildings, and must show a savings return within seven years.
  
  
• Proposition 47 encourages joint-use facilities between K-12 and higher education.
  
  
• Proposition 47 will not raise taxes.
  
  
• Proposition 47 is a joint effort of state/local agencies to meet the needs of our students. Voters in many local districts have approved, or soon will approve, local school bonds. Most of those projects cannot be completed without Proposition 47 matching funds.
  
  
• Proposition 47 in addition will provide classrooms in overcrowded colleges and upgrade college labs, libraries and research facilities.
  
  
• Economic studies show that Proposition 47 will create 250,000 jobs. It puts Californians to work building a better learning environment for our children.

The rebuttal to the opponents' argument was signed by Wayne Johnson, President, California Teachers Association; Bill Hauck, Co-Chair, Taxpayers for Accountability and Better Schools; and Barbara Inatsugu, President, League of Women Voters of California.

Kathy Webb, LWVC Social Policy Director, kwebblwv@aol.com

Anne Henderson, LWVC Legislative Director, annehenderson@att.net

Yes on 47 for Accountability and Better Schools, 111 Anza Blvd., Suite 406, Burlingame 94010. Phone: 650-340-0470
or
11300 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 840, Los Angeles 90064. Phone: 310-996-2671, http://www.yesprop47.com

Barbara Inatsugu, LWVC President and member of the Yes on 47 Steering Committee, inatsugub@aol.com

Note: Please adapt this letter to your own community and check your local paper's word limit for published letters.

Editor:

When Californians go to the polls on November 5, we can invest in our future by supporting new schools and renovation of older ones. Proposition 47 will help to fix our schools and help our students succeed.

California's public schools used to be among the best in the nation. A booming population and years of neglect and inadequate funding have changed that. We began improvements in the classroom with class size reduction several years ago, now we need to continue the improvements by building facilities to house these classes.

Prop 47 will build new schools, repair leaky roofs, improve the energy efficiency of facilities, and upgrade our classrooms for access to technology, so that our students will be prepared for tomorrow's workforce.

Funding will not come from increased taxes. This November's bond measure will provide $13.05 billion for our schools. California schools are beginning to "turn around." Let's help by improving the facilities.

Vote YES on Proposition 47!

Sincerely,