The Votes Are In!
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A time-worn locker room at a school in the Arcadia Unified School District will likely be renovated with Measure AS funding. | Photo courtesy of the AUSD
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Arcadia voters soundly approved Measure AS to provide a $358 million school bond intended to enhance safety, security, technology and facilities, the Arcadia Unified School District announced Thursday.
The bond needed a 55% majority in the Nov. 5 election and received 13,052 yes votes, or 61.3%.
The funding is for upgrading classrooms and campus buildings to enhance safety measures designed to address immediate and long-term needs with the goal of making school facilities more efficient, secure and conducive to contemporary learning methods, according to the school district.
“I’m very appreciative of the voters who supported this critical investment in our schools,” AUSD Superintendent David Vannasdall said in a statement. “The funding formula in California forces schools to ask their communities for support to complete any significant facilities upgrades to campuses, and our community has high expectations for an excellent education and schools for their children as they should.”
Measure AS dollars will renovate outdated classrooms, integrate new technological capabilities and develop “flexible, collaborative spaces,” district officials said. Newly designed classrooms and specialized learning areas are also part of the plan to accommodate the AUSD’s increasing enrollment and the growing demand for specialized instruction, such as science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM programs that have become progressively more key to preparing students for future academic and workforce pursuits.
The AUSD noted safety concerns that the bond measure aims to address.
“The last couple of years have seen a record number of school shootings in the U.S.,” according to the school district. “We need to keep our schools, students, and staff safe. In addition, we have other significant safety concerns, such as repairing aging roofs, plumbing, restrooms, and deteriorating gas and sewer lines; removing asbestos and lead paint; updating outdated electrical systems and security and fire systems; and making earthquake safety repairs and improvements.”
Officials said the measure reflects the school district’s commitment to ensuring that Arcadia schools continue to provide a top-level education while meeting the community’s changing needs.
The AUSD is one of the few Los Angeles-area school districts that has experienced enrollment growth rather than decline, and the bond measure will impact the district “for generations to come,” officials said.
Of the 26 school districts in LA County that put facilities bonds on the November ballot, voters approved all except for three. The statewide passage rate was lower, with voters enacting 70% of school bond measures.
The funding puts into action a Facilities Master Plan the AUSD created throughout the 2023-24 school year that identified repair and improvement needs totaling over $700 million.
“It was a lengthy and rigorous process that allowed input from students, parents, teachers, staff, and community members including local police and fire officials,” according to the district. “In addition to a Facilities Master Plan Committee that held meetings throughout the year, each school had meetings to provide input, and a community-wide survey was conducted allowing for further input into the future design of Arcadia Unified schools.”
As with other recent voter-approved ballot initiatives — Measure I, a $218 million facilities bond passed in 2006, and Measure A, a $77 million parcel tax approved in 2017 — a citizens’ oversight committee will oversee Measure AS expenditures.
More information on Measure AS is available at ausd.net.
