Los Angeles Unified is on a mission to seek voters' approval for a significant $9 billion bond measure. This bond aims to repair and upgrade the aging school buildings across the district. It presents a crucial opportunity for the future of education in LA.

Unlock the Potential of LA's Schools with the Bond

1. The Urgent Need for School Building Help

LA Unified, as the nation's second largest district, encompasses over 1,500 schools spread across 710 square miles. In large, urban districts like LA, many school buildings are older and in need of attention. According to LAUSD figures, at least 60% of the schools were built before 1975. These older buildings require various upgrades and renovations such as new roofs, ventilation systems, seismic updates, and tech upgrades. Estimates suggest the district needs to replace roughly 50,000 HVAC units, two million square feet of plumbing, and 18 million square feet of roofing. Additionally, LA Unified school buildings lack green space and accessible facilities for students with disabilities. There is also a need for investment in technology like video camera systems and alarm and monitoring systems to enhance campus safety.

2. The Limitations of the $9 Billion Bond

Despite the large sum of $9 billion, it won't fully cover the cost of needed upgrades and repairs. According to district estimates, the actual requirement is at least $80 billion to fully repair and modernize the schools. Another issue is the excessive number and size of the school buildings. District officials state that the school system is built for about 650,000 students, but currently, there are fewer than 410,000 students enrolled. With no end in sight to the declining enrollment, a challenging problem arises - what to do with the unused classrooms. Closing schools has been considered, but the district has so far avoided this option.

3. The State's School Construction Bond

State lawmakers have put a statewide bill before voters this year for a separate set of school buildings bonds. Proposition 2 aims to fund repairs and upgrades at public schools and community colleges statewide. LA Unified will only receive a small fraction of the $10 billion included in the statewide bond, which district officials believe is insufficient to address their facilities needs. Moreover, in this election cycle, there are other school repair measures besides the statewide one and the one in LA. A total of 252 districts around the state have school building bonds up for voters next week.

4. The Impact on Charter Schools

Measure US sets aside $300 million for charter schools out of the $9 billion borrowed from voters through the bond. California Charter Schools Association Vice President Keith Dell’Aquila argues that these allotments shortchange charter schools, which make up roughly 22% of LAUSD's enrollment, including district-affiliated schools. At an August board meeting discussing the bond, he said, "Twenty-two percent of the students should see and benefit from more than three percent of the revenues." He added, "We need to be working in collaboration and partnership. We see the same challenges: the leaky roofs, the insufficient special education space, too much concrete and not enough grass, the need to reinvest and modernize our schools."