“OK, let’s keep a positive attitude,” said Superintendent Jeff Wilson on Tuesday night, as San Marino Unified School District staff members searched a website to update early results for Measure S, the proposed $200 million bond for district facility and safety upgrades.
More than 20 supporters who piled into Wilson’s office for a watch party maintained a sunny outlook throughout the proceedings, but early returns held and, at press time, the controversial proposal was falling well short of the 55% approval needed for passage At last count, Measure S trailed, 1,562 votes to 1,041, reflecting approximately 60% opposition.
As proposed, Measure S was actually an extension of two bonds approved by voters in 1996 and 2000 that totaled $54 million and cost taxpayers $60 per $100,000 of home value annually. Those bonds will be levied until 2025.
Opponents of Measure S claimed that the district lacked a comprehensive plan for the money and said that $200 million was about twice the amount that would cover immediate needs. Toward the end of the campaign, opponents proposed floating a $100 million bond in conjunction with increasing an existing parcel tax or creating another to help fund teacher salaries and curriculum improvements. Funds collected for facility upgrades may not be used for any other reason. Many in the community felt that the challenges of an operating deficit of $2.8 million needed the full attention of the school board and administrators.
School board President C. Joseph Chang spent most of Tuesday night at the district office and on Wednesday said he was disappointed by the result of the election.
“I understand the citizens’ voice at this present time,” Chang explained. “We, the SMUSD Board of Education, will evaluate this situation carefully and explore other possibilities to upgrade school safety and campus security in the future. Thank you to the entire San Marino community for its attention and concern regarding this bond election. We need your continued participation for our schools. As citizens, parents, teachers, staff and students, we have to stand united for our children’s future.”
Peter Sinclair delivered a statement on behalf of Friends of San Marino Education, a group that opposed the bond.
“Tuesday’s result was edifying,” Sinclair said. “So many of you, our neighbors, showed up and sent a clear message to a school board that our community’s priorities are for our children. We are hopeful that this election presents an opportunity to rearrange SMUSD’s revenue mix to enable much-needed investments in teaching and expansion of the curriculum.”
The statement went on to encourage community members to increase their donations to the San Marino Schools Foundation, pass a smaller bond in November, pass a larger parcel tax in 2021, get involved in the district’s curriculum offerings and run for a seat on the school board.
“The San Marino Schools Foundation raises about $2 million annually to fund teachers,” the statement continued. “In the coming year, our schools will likely need the community to raise more, maybe millions more than usual. Please give to fund teachers in the short term.”
Mike Killackey, one of four co-chairs of the Measure S Campaign Committee, provided a statement on behalf of the group’s supporters.
“We are truly thankful to everyone in our community who supports our students, our teachers and their schools,” Killackey said. “We are deeply committed to doing what is right for our children, their safety, security and highest quality education. We also look forward to going through the electoral process and seeing the results once all votes are counted.”
Wilson thanked voters for their “careful consideration to this momentous vote and for using the democratic process to provide us direction for the future.”
“This is a pivotal moment in time to set aside our differences and to carefully consider together what the future holds for our schools and our students,” Wilson said. “We have great challenges ahead related to facilities and budget and it will take the collective efforts of our community to overcome these challenges and work together toward positive outcomes.”
If the board eventually chooses to place another bond before voters, it must file the necessary paperwork by June. The next parcel tax election will take place in 2021, when Measure E sunsets. First passed in 2009, Measure E collects $865 per parcel for a total of $4.1 million annually.
In the meantime, the school board terms of Lisa Link and Chris Norgaard will expire at the end of the year and will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. Link said on Wednesday that she will not seek a third term.
“I have completed two terms and nine years of dedicated service to the San Marino community as a member of the Board of Education,” Link said. “It’s time to pass the baton to someone who is equally committed to making decisions that are in the best interest of all of our students in the SMUSD.”
Link emphasized that the result of the bond election “had nothing to do with my decision.” I have been saying this long before Tuesday.”
Norgaard said he will announce next week if he will seek a fifth term.
Voters Soundly Reject Facilities Bond
