Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) residents will be able to vote on a $1.7 billion bond measure to fund major LBUSD facility renovations in the upcoming general election.
Given that the district’s funding need for capital improvement projects surpasses the funds available, the LBUSD Board passed a measure resolution at their meeting Monday to add the bond measure to the November 18 ballot.
The district passed a $1.5 billion bond measure known as Measure E back in 2016 which was approved with a 74.86% “yes” vote and has brought in hundreds of millions of dollars. Measure E funds are intended for repairs, technology, air conditioning and safety; completion of these projects is still underway.
“There’s allocations in place to continue to not just complete those projects, but really fulfill the desire of the voters who helped us pass that bond effort as well,” said David Miranda, executive director of facilities development and planning.
The new bond measure is meant to address the identified needs from the updated Facilities Master Plan—a data-driven roadmap for facility enhancement and improvement approved at Monday’s meeting—and “chip away” at the additional $3.5 to $3.8 billion proposed capital improvement needs, according to Miranda. The cost of the bond over time will be $4.1 billion and will be assessed until 2062.
Miranda said that although the district continues to apply for additional state funding when eligible, local dollars are still necessary to “make a dent into these efforts,” especially as the needs sum is projected to increase over the years.
As per the Facilities Master Plan, there are currently 10 project priority areas that are intended to accomplish the district’s educational mission and vision. Some of these projects include the expansion of green spaces, community and professional development and career technical education.
Board member Juan Benitez acknowledged a community need for wellness centers and career technical education, but said that this cannot be achieved without the proper facilities which, in turn, cannot be done without adequate funds.
“We cannot even consider passing policies that are not yet before us if we do not have the facilities to be able to implement those policies,” Benitez said. “We cannot fulfill our educational mission and vision.”
Some strategic challenges identified by the plan include the aging facilities and their conditions, declining enrollment and the consequential underutilization of capacity and space, and the expanding needs for a diverse student population such as special needs students.
The district needs at least 55% of the votes to pass the bond measure. If passed, the funds from the sale of bonds are exclusively meant to be spent on implementing the Facilities Master Plan and not any other expenses such as salaries.
The bond measure also includes many transparency efforts such as the establishment of an Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee and the conduction of annual independent performance and financial audits.
Benitez said that the bond measure and facilities master plan is a crucial aspect of achieving the district’s mission of excellence and equity.
“We need resources to be equitable,” Benitez said.
