State bond measure splits South Bay school districts
When they cast their votes in the March 3 primary election, South Bay residents could be forgiven for thinking they had stepped into a time machine. There’s a divisive measure on the ballot with the potential to greatly change financing for local school districts, and it goes by Proposition 13. The current Prop. 13 is not related to the notorious 1978 ballot measure that crimped the state’s property tax assessments, nor the planned “split roll” amendment to the state Constitution that may greet voters in November. The Prop. 13 now up for consideration is a school facilities bond for primary and higher education, and it is dividing education leaders in the South Bay. Prop. 13 contains $9 billion for construction and modernization projects at K-12 schools, as well as $6 billion for higher education. Districts in Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, both of which recently passed school bonds and have construction projects underway, have indicated plans to apply for these funds, and board members there have expressed support for Prop. 13. But while money for school facilities can be hard to turn down, Prop. 13 also changes how the state’s money is distributed. Some officials are worried…
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