The possibility of a future bond measure in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District was mentioned at an October study session dealing with the 34-campus district’s current and future facilities projects.
The facilities report was presented by Joan Velasco, interim assistant superintendent of business services. A portion of her report noted the district’s current bond debt and when the outstanding bonds will be retired.
Current bond debt stands at nearly $196 million, she reported, with some $17.7 million to be paid off from 2026 to 2028. Another $105 million will be retired from 2029 to 2034. Payoffs for the remaining $73.1 million debt will come in stages: $50.3 million by 2039; $689,000 by 2041; and $22.1 million by 2049.
A potential bond election was mentioned in a section of Velasco’s report outlining “future funding considerations.”
“The board may begin to consider the need to go for a future bond,” she said, adding, “In the last decade, an average of 59% of local school bonds passed in any given year.”
Money gained from bond sales can be used only for capital projects and not for employee salaries or to support student programs. Bonds need a 55% majority vote to pass if the district creates a bond oversight committee to monitor bond spending.
District voters last approved bond sales with margins in excess of the required 55% in 2002 and 2008. The approvals resulted in the district receiving some matching funds from the state.
The $102 million Measure Y passed in 2002 with a 65.7% “yes” vote. Funds were used to modernize 22 schools, including 15 elementary, four middle and three high school campuses.
Also, the bond sales helped fund four new campuses: Melrose and Lakeview elementary schools, Valadez Middle School and Yorba Linda High School.
Six years later, the $200 million Measure A passed with a 56.9% “yes” vote. Funds were used for projects of varying costs on all district sites, including facility refurbishments and technology updates.
Interestingly, voters in Yorba Linda gave the measure a 52.5% “yes” vote, 573 votes less than the required 55%, and voters in the Fairlynn and Country Club county islands gave the measure a 54.7% “yes” vote, three votes shy of the required 55%.
The measure passed because of the “yes” tallies in Placentia and the small portions of three other cities in the district and other county territory: 60.2% in Placentia and 66% in Fullerton, 57% in Brea, 64.2% in Anaheim and 57.2% in other county territory.
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Yorba Linda was the only municipality in the seven-city circulation area of the North County News-Tribune to oppose the Proposition 50 redistricting measure on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Voters in Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma and Placentia gave majority votes to the proposition.
A rundown for each city, including turnout and vote center and mail-in tallies, will appear in my next column.
Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.