Bill to Place $10 Billion School Construction Bond on 2024 Ballot Signed Into Law

A bill to place a $10 billion bond to build and repair public K-12 schools and community colleges on the 2024 ballot was signed into law by acting Governor and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) on Thursday.

According to Assembly Bill 247, authored by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), it would set forth the Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Schools and Local Community College Public Education Facilities Modernization, Repair, and Safety Bond Act of 2024 as a state general obligation bond act that would provide $10,000,000,000 to construct and modernize education facilities, including $8,500,000,000 for elementary and secondary educational facilities and $1,500,000,000 for community college facilities, as specified. This bond act would become operative only if approved by the voters in November.

In addition AB 247 would require a school district to submit to the Department of General Services a 5-year school facilities master plan as a condition of participating in the school facilities program under the act. The bill would amend the methodology for calculating the local contribution a school district is required to make in order to be eligible to receive state funding under the act, as specified. Finally, the bill would require a school district that seeks new construction or modernization funding under the act after November 5, 2024, to submit an updated report of the school district’s existing school building capacity to the State Allocation Board.

Assemblyman Muratsuchi authored the bill earlier this year because of the growing need for new schools and repairs and upgrades needed for older ones. Earlier this year, state researchers estimated that over $100 billion in K-12 new construction and modernization facilities are needed while Community Colleges have a projected $42 billion need over ten years.

“California needs a statewide school facilities bond to invest in our children to meet 21st century educational needs,” said Assemblyman Muratsuchi in April “According to the California Department of Education, 30 percent of the state’s K-12 classrooms are over 50 years old and 10 percent are over 70 years old. Californians face critical school facility needs, including transitional kindergarten and early childhood education, natural disaster response, universal high-speed internet access, lead abatement, and extreme heat and other climate change adaptation.”

The bill received minimal opposition earlier this year, with only a handful of Republicans and Democrats questioning the need for such an amount and sending the decision to voters in the first place. But those lawmakers did little to hinder the bill moving forward. AB 247 passed the Assembly in May with a 66-0 with 14 abstention vote, followed by a Senate vote on Wednesday where it passed 34-3 with 3 abstentions. The bill was then sent to the Governor for signing. But with Governor Newsom stumping for President Joe Biden across the country and Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis attending both a funeral and a wedding outside the state, Senator McGuire came in as acting Governor and signed AB 247 into law. The bond decision is now going to be decided by California voters this November.

We have a deal on $10 billion school bond.
California kids urgently need #AB247 to repair and provide safe schools and classrooms in every community.
AB 247 will provide:
Safe schools
Internet access
Lead mitigation
TK/early ed
CTE
School greeninghttps://t.co/1lc3VY4lVM

— Al Muratsuchi (@AMuratsuchi) July 1, 2024

“I want to thank Governor Newsom, Assembly Speaker Rivas, Senate President Pro Tem McGuire, and my colleagues for their support for this urgently needed statewide school bond,” said Assemblyman Muratsuchi on Thursday. “This bond will provide funds necessary to repair dilapidated and unsafe school facilities and to meet 21st century educational and workforce needs. If approved by California voters, this measure will make state matching dollars available to every school district in every community throughout the state, with locally identified school facility priorities and local taxpayer accountability. California has not passed a statewide school bond since 2016, and we are running out of state bond funds. We need to invest in our children and our future workforce by passing this school bond in November.”

Assemblywoman Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) added, “As a committed advocate for community development, I am proud to co-author AB 247, reflecting our unwavering commitment to ensuring equitable access to quality education for all students in California. This bond measure will provide critical funding to modernize, repair, and enhance the safety of our K-12 and community college facilities. By investing in our educational infrastructure, we are creating a better learning environment for our students and building a stronger future for our communities. I urge all Californians to support this essential measure on the November ballot. I want to extend my gratitude to Speaker Robert Rivas and Speaker pro Tem Mike McGuire for their support. The time is now, and I look forward to seeing it on the ballot in November.”

Many elections experts said putting a bond measure on an already crowded ballot would only lead to more voters likely just selecting yes without looking too much into it.

“Presidential years always get more people, and that means many voters just checking the boxes going down,” explained ballot researcher Greta Norton to the Globe on Friday. “This bond measure, you know that will come after the Presidential vote, Senate, Congressional, state office, judges, local representatives, local special initiatives, state propositions and so much more. For many voters, by the time they go to the end of the ballot, they might be reading this as ‘money for schools’ pure and simple.

“That’s a problem with any ballot really, but especially with ballots during presidential election years.”

The AB 247 bond is expected to be on the November 2024 ballot.