The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) is asking voters to approve a property tax increase to fund $395 million in renovation and repair projects at Malibu schools.

At least 55% of voters need to approve Measure MM for it to pass.

The measure is one of two on the November ballot that affects SMMUSD; we'll get to that lower down.

Official title on the ballot: Malibu Schools Repair/Improvement Bond Measure

Understanding Measure MM — and a ballot error

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District serves about 8,700 students across 18 schools.

The district is separated into two "School Facilities Improvement Districts" — one for Santa Monica, the other for Malibu. Measure MM is specific to schools in Malibu. Some voters in an unincorporated area near Topanga will also vote on this measure. Santa Monica residents will vote on the bond known as Measure QS.

Los Angeles County mistakenly included both school funding measures on all ballots in the district when in reality only Malibu voters can determine the outcome of Measure MM and Santa Monica residents can only vote on Measure QS.

“Although we cannot modify the voting materials at this stage, we will ensure that only votes cast by eligible voters within the defined [School Facilities Improvement District] boundaries are reported and certified," said Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan in a statement. "The election results will not include votes from outside these specific areas."

In the case of Measure MM, the district wants money to remove asbestos and lead; fix leaky roofs, plumbing, and wiring; and upgrade classrooms, labs, libraries, and instructional technology in Malibu schools.

How it would work

School districts rely on voters to approve statewide and local bonds to pay for repairs, renovations, and new construction. This year, Malibu voters will decide whether to support one of each: the district’s Measure MM 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 MM, SMMUSD can issue up to $395 million in bonds to finance specific school facilities projects.

The district estimates the bond would cost property-owners that live within the school district's boundaries an average of $40 per $100,000 of assessed value. There’s also a possibility that SMMUSD 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.

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 California, 38% of K-12 students go to schools that do not meet the minimum standard to be considered clean, safe, and functional.

"Many Malibu schools were built for a different era of education. Malibu High School facilities were originally built to be a middle school," district spokesperson Gail Pinsker told LAist. "These classrooms do not support today’s standards for high school instruction. The District is exploring options to improve and modernize our local schools, aligning them with the modern teaching and learning standards to maintain quality education for our students."

SMMUSD Board Member Stacy Rouse, Malibu Mayor Pro Tem Marianne Riggins, and Advocates for Malibu Public Schools President Wade Major are among those who submitted an argument in favor of the bond to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder.

Read more:

• The district's case for Measure MM.
• Arguments from Yes on Measure MM

What critics of school bonds say

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 Proposition 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:

• Independent, annual performance audits of bond-funded projects and spending 
• 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. 

Check out SMMUSD's bond oversight committee website to see upcoming agendas, summaries of past meetings, audits, and other information about how the district has spent bond funding.

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.

Bond-funded spending is reviewed by a Bond Oversight Committee. And 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 MM would be paid back — with interest — through local property taxes.

Further reading

• What is a bond? Why am I always being asked to vote for one?
• Read Measure MM.
• Read Measure QS.

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