EDUCATION: Riverside’s School board prepares to decide the date for a vote on a multi-million dollar bond for upgrades and maintenance to school campuses.
By Brandon Byrne, Staff Writer
Spring cleaning is here, and as part of the agenda this spring, the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) Board’s first decision regarding the vote on a multi-million dollar bond to renovate Riverside school campuses has begun. It has been 15 years since the 175 million dollar bond for school modernization was agreed upon, and it is time again to return to those discussions. In order to acquire the 257 million dollar bond for infrastructure upkeep at 30 elementary schools, seven middle schools, five high schools, and special education facilities within the district, members must choose a date between June and November of 2016 that will be placed on the ballot and voted upon.
According to various studies, the November ballot would have more support for the bond (about 70 percent), and the November ballot would include several other voting items such as state initiatives, board president, and propositions. “The November ballot is going to be very long, and we will be at the bottom. How will that affect the results? That wasn’t reflected in the study,” Board member I. Angelov Farooq stated. The complexity and length of the November ballot has turned board members’ attention to the possibility of holding the ballot in June.
The bond would be the only measure on the June ballot, accompanying the primary vote for elected offices. Studies indicate that nearly 64% of voters would vote for the bond, which passes the 55% needed to pass the bond; however, this does not lend much of a safety net, which worries Tom Hunt. “In the June election, the numbers are very close to the 55 percent we need to win. In November, we have more of a cushion,” he said. For this reason, Hunt favors a November vote.
There are those who think that this money should not go to school infracsture but rather to hiring more high-quality teachers. This is a consideration of some because of the many budget cuts made from 2001 to 2006. The district cut $25 million from the budget that resulted in 40 teacher lay-offs. Soon after that, $8 million more was cut resulting in the retirement of over 32 teachers. The final cut made was $4 million to art, music, counselor, adult, and gifted and talented programs. Supporters insist that putting more teachers back on the payroll would decrease class size, allowing teachers to be more effective in educating students. There is still more discussion to be done before a final decision is made, both about the date of the bond vote and the future funding of RUSD schools.