If you live in Santa Monica or Malibu, whether you have children in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) or not, you should vote "yes" on Measure QS or MM in the November 2024 election.
Why? Because school facilities bond funds are the only means available to do the significant repairs, upgrades, and modernizations on the 16 Santa Monica and Malibu school campuses. Measures QS/MM would allocate $495 million (Santa Monica) and $395 million (Malibu) exclusively for facilities improvements and repair in our excellent public schools. The school district general fund alone is insufficient to cover the cost of these crucial projects.
Both proponents and opponents of Measures QS and MM agree that our school facilities are aged, and in serious need of repair and improvements. The Santa Monica-Malibu Council of PTAs (SMM Council) has taken its position in support of these measures after an extensive, impartial study of the issues, mapped against PTA’s general principles and its more than 100 years of advocacy. (The report of the SMM Council of PTAs study committee is located here.)
Here are some of the points that we considered most persuasive in the course of our study and subsequent community discussion:
1 – Planned projects: The District’s long-term facilities improvement plan maintains a full list of necessary, site-specific project repairs and improvements. The total cost of the plan is greater than any one bond measure can fund; this is why bond measures recur on our local ballots. The projects targeted under Measures QS/MM, a subset of the long-term plan, is the most specific and detailed ever created in connection with an SMMUSD facilities bond, according to veterans of bond campaigns. (Here are the project lists for Measure MM and Measure QS). For many of these projects, architects, designers, and/or builders have already been contracted with the school District, and the projects are ready to begin, pending only funding approval. Locking in project plans, teams, and designs in advance of funding allows the District to minimize the effects of construction cost increases. As with most bonds throughout California, the bond measure text itself does not include the project listing; the categorical "bond project list" as included in Measures QS and MM is compliant with state law. The project listing has been presented by District staff at numerous meetings in 2024, and is public record. We find that this level of specificity, plus the agreements with design and construction entities, indicate the intent of the District to execute these projects – the opposite of writing itself a "blank check."
2 – Completion history: In short, in the past 25 years, the District has overwhelmingly completed what it promised to build. Based on historical data, we calculated that 9 out of every 10 prior school facilities bond projects have been completed — and those which have not are either in construction, or will be funded by QS and MM. This portfolio of completed projects includes high profile, high priority upgrades such as cameras and security equipment, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) improvements, roof replacements, and restroom upgrades, to name just a few.
3 – Accountability: School facilities bonds are required by the California constitution to be ONLY for "the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities." (Peeling paint, flooded toilets, and other maintenance issues are funded by the District general fund.) Funds from QS and MM, like those of previous bond measures, will be subject to third-party, professional performance and financial audits, as well as citizen's bond committee oversight. In addition, a bond-specific financial oversight subcommittee seeks out opportunities to refinance the bond sale debt. In the past 10 years, these efforts have saved taxpayers more than $50 million through refinancing. Through such controls and other measures, SMMUSD meets or exceeds state law requirements for expenditures under its school facilities bonds.
4 – Costs and taxes. Some community members have voiced their concern about the tax consequences of cumulative bond measurement payments. We take the concerns about increased taxes very seriously. It is worth noting that school district bond property tax rates in Santa Monica are on par with rates in Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach, and significantly lower than those of Beverly Hills, LAUSD and Long Beach. Another consideration is that the probable increase in property value due to excellent public schools likely far outweighs the additional tax burden due to Measures QS and MM. While we do not uniformly approve of additional taxes, in this case there is a compelling public interest served, with a minor relative cost for most residents.
5 – Appropriate forums. Many of the arguments opposed to Measures QS and MM are plainly misleading. Arguments that bond funds are misspent, or that the bond language is insufficiently specific with respect to planned projects ("blank check"), or that materials or construction methods are sub-par have other, more appropriate venues. Despite the stated concern for the condition of our school facilities, no alternative means to address major upgrades and repairs has been presented. These arguments are unfounded, and are not reasons to oppose bonds to fund necessary school facilities projects. California law, and local and state agencies already safeguard facilities bond spending and accountability.
Santa Monica and Malibu’s public schools have a well-deserved, national reputation for being among the very finest available anywhere. Vote yes on Measure QS and Measure MM. You will be helping SMMUSD to maintain our schools’ high standards, and provide a safe, 21st-century education to the children of our community.
Nicole Faries, President, Santa Monica-Malibu Council of PTAs
Erika Bell, Executive Vice President, SMM Council
Danielle Litak, 4th Vice President, Education, SMM Council
Casper Casparian, Legislation Committee Chair, SMM Council
