Lake Elsinore USD's Measure T Sees Early Support

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Measure T in the Lake Elsinore Unified School District enjoyed 57% support in the early election results.

Scroll to see the latest results as of 10 a.m. Wednesday:

If passed, the measure will authorize the sale of up to $198 million in bonds for school infrastructure upgrades and improvements, translating to higher property tax rates in the district while the IOUs are paid off.

The cumulative debt service period would run close to 40 years and translate to an estimated total of $396 million in principal and interest before the obligations are satisfied, according to campaign literature.

The LEUSD debt amortization would require an additional $28 in taxes per $100,000 of assessed valuations for property owners.

The school board would have discretion over what to fund under the "District-Wide 21st Century Instructional Technology Program," supporters wrote. Examples include renovations of computer labs, new lighting and electrical systems, new furnishings, windows and doors.

"For our students to succeed in college and careers, they must be skilled in the use of today's technologies and have a solid background in science, math, engineering and technology," proponents wrote. "Measure T will continue to make this possible."

The proposal has a 55% approval requirement.

The LEUSD is not alone in asking voters to approve bond measures. According to an Oct. 4 article in EdSource, more than one in four California school districts asked local voters to approve similar measures. RELATED ARTICLE: School Bond Measures Are Centerstage In Several RivCo Cities

As the article points out, unlike school districts’ operating money, which mostly comes from the state, school construction and repairs remain largely a local responsibility, paid for by bonds funded by property taxes.

Bonds are essentially loans that are paid back, usually over 25 or 30 years, with interest.

This election season, California school districts ramped up attempts to pass bond measures.

The reason 2024 was so relevant?: The districts that pass their measures will jockey for some of the $10 billion in matching state funding that Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature asked voters to approve by passing Proposition 2.

If passed, Prop. 2 authorizes $10 billion in general obligation bonds for repair, upgrade, and construction of facilities at K-12 public schools (including charter schools), community colleges, and career technical education programs, including for improvement of health and safety conditions and classroom upgrades.

The fiscal impact?: Increased state costs of about $500 million annually for 35 years to repay the bond, according to Prop. 2's language.

For the LEUSD, much is on the line.

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