The Los Nietos School District is asking voters to approve a property tax increase to fund $28.5 million in renovation and repair projects.
At least 55% of voters need to approve Measure RU for it to pass.
The district is also asking voters to approve another bond. We'll get to that down below.
Official title on the ballot: Los Nietos School District Measure RU
You are being asked: Can Los Nietos School District borrow $28.5 million to fund repairs, renovations and construction?
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A "yes" vote means: The district can borrow $28.5 million to construct new buildings, repair and renovate existing public schools.
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A "no" vote means: The district cannot borrow $28.5 million to construct new buildings, repair and renovate existing public schools.
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City of Los Angeles
- City Council: Vote for districts 2, 10 and 14.
- Charter Amendment ER: A package of ethics reforms designed to fight corruption at City Hall. Plus: Charter Amendments DD, FF, HH and II.
L.A. County
- Board of Supervisors: Measure G would dramatically overhaul county government.
- District Attorney: Criminal justice reform, or more law-and-order justice?
- LA Unified school board: Voters are also deciding on a $9 billion facilities bond and a redistricting measure.
- School district measures: Schools have a lot of repair needs.
- Superior Court judges: Plus: Tips to make sure you're putting right person on the bench.
Statewide races
- Whoa! There are 10 propositions on the ballot. Here's your cheat sheet to Props. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36.
Jump to the full Voter Game Plan for dozens more races ▶
Understanding Measure RU
Los Nietos School District, near Whittier, serves about 1,300 students across four schools. The district wants money to repair leaky roofs and windows; remove asbestos and lead; update heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; and do other safety-focused renovations.
School districts rely on voters to approve statewide and local bonds to pay for repairs, renovations, and new construction. This year, district voters will decide whether to support the district’s Measure RU and ST and the statewide Proposition 2. (We’ve got a voter guide for that one too.)
A bond is basically a loan that a school district takes out, and which property owners in that school district pay back through property taxes.
If at least 55% of voters approve Measure RU, Los Nietos School District can issue up to $28.5 million in bonds to finance specific school facilities projects.
LAist asked the district to name its top priorities for bond funding, but representatives have yet to respond.
Make It Make Sense: Election 2024 Edition
The money borrowed through the measure would be paid back through a property tax. The district estimates the bond would cost property-owners that live within the school district's boundaries an average of $30 per $100,000 of assessed value. There’s also a possibility that Los Nietos School District could get additional state funding if Prop. 2, the statewide school facilities bond, passes.
Districts cannot spend bond money on employee salaries and are required to commission independent audits of bond spending.
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- Find your property’s assessed value on the L.A. County Assessor’s website.
- Divide your assessed value by $100,000 and multiply that number by $30.
- The resulting number is the estimate of the annual property tax increase associated with Measure RU.
- Remember: Your property’s assessed value will change, but increases are limited to 2% per year, except when a property changes ownership or undergoes new construction.
- Rent? It’s possible that landlords pass increased property taxes on to tenants, but the limits on annual rent hikes depend on where you live.
Wait, isn't there another bond for Los Nietos?
That's correct: Measure ST, which seeks $26.5 million.
According to a school district FAQ, here's the way to think about it: Measure RU focuses on repairs (lead and asbestos removal) and updates to physical infrastructure (fixing leaky roofs; HVAC). Measure ST is about safety (repairs to broken concrete and uneven play surfaces; new security systems) and technology (classroom upgrades).
And clever readers will note that the combined measures do indeed spell: RUST.
What supporters of school bonds say
Research links higher student achievement to better quality schools — it’s easier to learn in clean, climate-controlled, well-lit classrooms.
In California, there’s no dedicated stream of funding to support the upkeep of the 10,000 public K-12 schools attended by 5.9 million students. The majority of the money schools receive from the state every year supports students, staff salaries and other day-to-day expenses.
Throughout the state, 38% of K-12 students go to schools that do not meet the minimum standard to be considered clean, safe, and functional.
If the state and local measures fail, the need for funding will remain.
“Those buildings are not going to magically renovate themselves while we're waiting for a better bond,” said Sara Hinkley, the California program manager at the Center for Cities + Schools at UC Berkeley.
Los Nietos Teacher Association President Don Fulton and Los Nietos Educational Foundation Treasurer James Marcel are among those who submitted an argument in favor of the bond to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder.
Read more:
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The lottery does contribute money to public education — L.A. County alone has gotten $11 billion since 1985 — but as revenues ballooned in recent years, school funding stagnated.
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When California voters approved the creation of the lottery, the law required 34 cents of every dollar to fund education. In 2010 lawmakers changed the rules giving the lottery the mandate to “maximize” funding for education.
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Now there are bigger jackpots, but fewer dollars for schools. A 2018 LAist investigation found the lottery’s contributions had dropped to 23 cents per dollar.
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And in 2020, the California State Auditor found the lottery “has not provided required funding to education” and shorted schools tens of millions of dollars.
What critics of school bonds say
In general, critics of bonds often say the cost to property owners is too high and question why school districts with declining enrollment need money for construction when they’re serving fewer students.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is a frequent opponent of state and local school bonds. The nonprofit is dedicated to upholding Prop. 13, the 1978 constitutional amendment that limited changes to California property taxes.
“We think bond financing has its place, but it should be judicious because it raises property taxes at the local level,” said Susan Shelley, HJTA’s vice president of communications. “It increases the debt burden on future budgets because bond payments have to be made ahead of current needs in the budget.”
The Association has not taken a position on specific local bonds other than LAUSD’s $9 billion Measure US (no) and on Prop. 2 (also no).
Shelley said voters weighing school bonds should carefully consider how the school spent previous bond funding and the plans for future projects.
“You should have confidence that the priorities are right,” Shelley said. “And if they're not, say no and make [the district] come back to you with a better plan.”
No individual or group submitted an argument in opposition to the bond to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder.
Who is in charge of all this money?
State law lays out several accountability measures for local school district bonds, including:
- The creation of an independent bond oversight committee that includes:
- At least seven members
- Representatives of the business community, taxpayers, and parents. School district employees, vendors, contractors, and consultants cannot be appointed.
- Independent, annual performance audits of bond-funded projects and spending
How long would construction take?
While districts identify projects that could benefit from improvements, that list is not a guarantee of which projects will be funded.
There are often years of community meetings, design, and permitting between the passage of a bond and the start of construction, though minor renovation projects could be completed sooner.
Potential financial impact
A bond is basically a loan. The bond authorized by Measure RU would be paid back — with interest — through local property taxes.
Further reading
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