Measure K guest blog by: Jason Kraft, Candidate for Brea School Board
There has been substantial debate, some quite heated, regarding the November ballot initiative Measure K posed by the BOUSD Board of Directors.
As much misinformation as facts have been circulating. This piece by Jason deals only with facts and reaches a conclusion wholly supported by them.
What is Measure K?
If approved, Measure K would allow the Brea school district to borrow $148 million. This money, plus interest (roughly $300 million total), would be paid back by increased property taxes and higher rents for the next 40 years.
How would Measure K money be spent?
The Brea school district can spend this money on the items in the “Project Listing” section of Measure K. These items are not specific projects, they are broadly-defined goals such as:
- “Provide necessary infrastructure for all nine schools”
- “Additional classroom technology equipment”
- “21st Century classroom equipment and furniture”
- “Upgrade classrooms”
- “Upgrade school office entrances”
Any project that could potentially fit into any of these broadly-defined goals would be an acceptable use of Measure K funds.
Will Measure K pay for all the school facilities projects that need to be done?
No. The district has identified needs of $302.5 million, so Measure K would pay for less than half of these projects.
Why won’t Measure K pay for all the school facilities projects we need?
The amount of money requested by the district for Measure K was chosen based on polls and surveys, not based on actual needs. The figure of $148 million polled the best, so it was chosen as the amount for the bond.
How do we know which specific projects will be funded?
We don’t. There is nothing in Measure K that requires specific projects to be prioritized or funded.
What about the list of projects recently released by the district?
This list of projects represents all the school facilities projects that have been identified. It is not part of Measure K, it is not legally binding, and it cannot be used to hold the district accountable for spending.
Are the budgets for the identified school facilities projects accurate?
We don’t know. There has not been an independent audit of the budgets for these projects.
When will specific projects be completed?
We don’t know. Measure K has no information about project timelines.
How will the school district be held accountable for how Measure K money is spent?
We don’t know. Measure K would create an “Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee”, but accountability would be limited to the broadly-defined goals outlined in the measure. Measure K has no information about what kind of powers this oversight committee would have or how they would enforce their oversight decisions.
Is there a legitimate need for school facilities projects?
Yes. These projects need to be funded, but they need to be funded responsibly with a new bond measure that provides true accountability.
If Measure K doesn’t pass, how will we pay for school facilities projects?
We will immediately start working on a new bond measure for the 2018 ballot that includes public input from teachers, parents, and the community. The process for creating this new bond measure will be open, honest, and transparent from the beginning. Independent audits will be used to ensure we are budgeting and prioritizing effectively.
What if emergency funding is needed for a project that can’t wait until 2018?
The school district has over $10 million in reserve accounts that can be used for emergency funding if there is an urgent need.
How did Measure K get on the ballot without any details about specific projects, priorities, or timelines?
The text of the bond measure was made public in the evening of Friday, July 22nd, at the last possible moment allowed under the law to qualify for a vote at the July 25th Brea school board meeting. Several community members spoke about the serious problems with the measure at the July 25th school board meeting, but it was approved unanimously by the board anyway, two weeks before the deadline for putting the measure on the November ballot.
How can we fix this?
- Vote No on Measure K
- Vote out the school board incumbents who approved Measure K despite its flaws.
- Help us work on a real solution for 2018 that funds our schools responsibly.
Well stated, Jason! Thank you.
The list of specific projects is available on the District’s website:
There are more than $300 million in repair and improvement needs that have been identified in the Brea Olinda School District. The costs listed in this document are best estimates of project cost and are subject to change due to the timing of a project, market conditions, and requirements of the projects associated with ADA compliance and engineering and design approval from the Department of the State Architect.
Additionally, all projects are subject to School Board approval prior to their execution and events outside of the control of the District may cause projects to change in their order of priority on the list.
Jodi, the list of specific projects the district made available is a good first step, but it is not part of Measure K and therefore cannot be used to hold the district accountable for spending Measure K funds.
If Measure K were amended to include only the specific projects that would be funded (subject to change with board approval) that would go a long way toward fixing the problems with the measure.
I understand that costs are subject to change, but have the existing estimates for these projects been verified by an independent audit?
I’m glad that all projects are subject to School Board approval, but unfortunately the current school board has a history of approving expenses retroactively, after the money has already been spent. See my post linked below for more info:
https://www.facebook.com/KraftBreaSchoolBoard/posts/1101358263281556
If voters put a new school board in place I would be more confident that there would be actual oversight.
Jason,
Supporters of the $148 million bond tax (actually $300 million +/-) after interest is added, continually try to fool the public by declaring the project list provided by BOUSD are the ACTUAL projects that will be undertaken with their TAX dollars. That is far from the truth.
The District has no obligation to start, finish, or complete any project on those lists. The only obligations they have is to do SOMETHING on their declared list on OCVote.com’s website. See both quotes below for the actual wording on BOUSD’s actual Ballot Measure K.
“Inclusion of a project on the Bond Project List is not a guarantee that the project will be completed (regardless of whether bond funds are available).”
“Based on the final costs of each project, certain projects may be delayed or may not be undertaken.”
So in BOUSD’s own words BOUSD does not guarantee anything.
To think that the current Board would be in charge of approving anything, especially $148 million dollars is beyond scary!
Vote NO on Measure K.
I’ve been lurking on Nextdoor for the last couple of weeks watching various threads discuss Measure K. I’m disappointed to see how those in favor really don’t seem to have any ammunition for their argument.
They just keep redirecting the conversation to side topics that are completely irrelevant. An acceptable tactic in a high school debate but when $148 million is on the line, it’s unacceptable.
I hope enough others who really care about what’s happening to Brea schools reach the same conclusion I have and stop Measure K in it’s tracks.