Four North County school districts placed bond measures on the ballot this year to make site improvements or build a new school—with two passing the 55 percent voter approval threshold.
The Santa Barbara County Elections Office certified elections on Dec. 3, with more than 187,000 voters casting their ballots for the general election—which is nearly 77 percent of the county’s registered voters.
Santa Maria-Bonita and Lompoc Unified school districts had 62 percent and 59.6 percent approval, respectively. Both districts wish to make improvements to aging buildings, remove asbestos, and replace outdated portable classrooms.
“Thank you to our incredible community members for their overwhelming support of the Measure K school bond,” Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) Superintendent Darren McDuffie told the Sun in a written statement. “Their commitment to our students and schools ensures a brighter future, with enhanced resources and opportunities for every child to succeed.”
Measure K is a $77 million, 30-year bond measure to fund site upgrades across Santa Maria-Bonita’s 17 elementary schools, four junior high schools, and one combined elementary and junior high. Santa Barbara County’s largest school district is expecting more than 18,000 enrolled students by the 2029-30 school year, but the district said the existing sites need updates to serve the growing population.
“Together, we will build a stronger, more unified community where every SMBSD student will be prepared for limitless possibilities and achievements using their unique gifts and talents, developing the skills to reach their maximum potential,” McDuffie said.
Lompoc Unified’s bond measure, Measure M, is the first bond to pass in Lompoc since 2002.
Lompoc Unified school board President Franky Caldeira said in a statement that Measure M will be a game changer for the district.
“I’ve seen firsthand the leaky roofs, substandard portable classrooms, and deteriorating infrastructure,” Caldeira said in the statement. “The community’s support for Measure M is a testament to our commitment to our students and their future, our families, our staff, and our community.”
The $160 million bond will bring updates to the district’s 16 sites—most of which were built 60 years ago. The district tried and failed to pass bond measures four times between 2016 and 2022. The bond would levy 5 cents per $100 (or $50 per $100,000) of assessed home value for 40 years.
To alleviate classroom overcrowding, the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District placed Measure J on the ballot: A $194 million bond measure to construct a new comprehensive high school. However, it fell 2 percent short of passing—sitting at 53 percent.
Similar to Lompoc and Santa Maria-Bonita, the College School District in the Santa Ynez Valley wanted to update its school facilities—including its portable classrooms that date back to World War II—but the district was 3 percent shy of the 55 percent threshold at 52 percent.
College School District Superintendent Maurene Donner said that the $18 million bond was the lowest amount the district could ask for to make the needed improvements to the sites.
“Our public schools are a treasure of the valley. It takes the entire community to make them whole. Although College School District, which has been recognized four times as a California Distinguished School, has an excellent teaching staff and high achieving students, we do not have the facilities to match,” Donner said in a statement. “[Our] community will need to take a hard look at the importance of how education fuels a thriving Santa Ynez Valley.”
This article appears in Dec 5-15, 2024.