Editor’s note: See related editorial in the Perspective section.
In November, California voters will vote on Proposition 2, a proposal that would approve $10 billion in bonds for the renovation and improvement of California public schools and community colleges. If it passes, the measure would allocate $8.5 billion to K-12 schools and the other $1.5 billion to community colleges, providing funding for public schools to address health and safety concerns in their facilities.
California currently does not have an automatic or permanent funding plan for public schooling other than Proposition 98, which was passed in 1988. Prop 98 guarantees an annual increase in school funding, however, it is based on factors such as state revenue that have seen a dip recently.
Prop 2 is not a permanent measure, but would provide money for school funding to be paid off for the next 35 years.
“The resources from Proposition 2 would make funding available for competitive projects to receive partial funding. Our college and district would then leverage matching funds to make improvements to our campuses. Proposition 2 would benefit LMC and our sister colleges,” says Los Medanos College President Pamela Ralston.
The much needed funding to upgrade school facilities that Prop 2 would provide has been a concern of many Californians. Supporters of the proposition believe that the improvements to be made by Prop 2 would make our schools better and safer learning environments. Prop 2 aims to address unsafe drinking water, renovating and constructing new facilities, as well as creating new career and technical education (CTE) buildings for vocational learning.
Opponents of Proposition 2 however, believe that the proposal has many shortcomings in its funding plan as well as its impact on our communities.
Firstly, Prop 2 will cost a lot of money. The proposition is set to provide schools with money for 35 years, however, due to interest, it will cost taxpayers $18 billion dollars. While annual audits will ensure that the money is going to the right places, the extra taxes that would have to be paid may place additional strain on taxpayers who may already be struggling to keep up with the high cost of living in California.
Taxpayers may be less encouraged to spend money in their local communities, thus lowering crucial revenue for local businesses, stifling economic growth in the state. Furthermore, there is concern that Prop 2 would disproportionately benefit wealthier schools. The funding plan of the proposition states that schools would be able to raise funds before they apply to the state to provide matching grants. Schools in worse financial situations may have trouble getting their share of the funds.
Nevertheless, the need to improve schools remains imperative to the Proposition’s supporters.
“When we invest in higher education as a community and as a state, we are investing in our future. A well-educated workforce helps keep California competitive economically, and a measure like Proposition 2 helps us commit to that investment.” says Ralston.
LMC already has plans for how they would like to move forward with the funds they and their sister colleges within the Contra Costa Community College District would receive if Prop 2 were to pass.
Ralston says that the construction and renovation will take over the next 7 to 10 years and aims to address many of the college’s needs around campus such as “a new Child Study Center, Health and Public Services Building, Career Education and Industrial Design Building,” and more.
While some continue to argue that Prop 2 will only provide minimal help to our public schools, others describe the possibility for approved funds as a lifeline for healthy learning environments.
“We want students to feel a sense of belonging and connection on both of our campuses, and space makes that possible,” Ralston says. “Students need to be able to work together inside and outside of classes with access to comfortable working environments and technological and academic support. Our current facilities do some of that well, but as we redesign for the future, this will be an even greater emphasis.”
