Broken water fountains. Bathrooms out of service. Tagged walls. Desks scratched up or jiggling from missing parts.
These were some conditions of public schools attended by Cal State LA students interviewed recently.
That’s why many Eastside and South L.A. residents interviewed said that they support Prop. 2, a statewide measure on this year’s ballot that would allow $10 billion in bonds to be issued to repair and upgrade K-12 public schools and community colleges across the state.
If passed, Prop. 2 would also allow for more grants for school districts that are less financially well-off than others — and these bonds and grants would require public hearings, and the expenses would be audited to ensure the funds are used appropriately.
Prop. 2 opponents — including Assemblyman Bill Essayli, R-Corona, and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association’s Jon Coupal — argue the measure will increase debt and result in higher property taxes, continue to ignore declining enrollment in K-12 schools and community colleges, and continue to give California residents even more debt to pay off. The bond would cost the state up to $500 million each year for 35 years and is planned to be paid by the state’s general fund, the account the state uses to pay for public services.
Several Eastside and South L.A. residents disagree.
“I feel like it does affect people in the community…With a lack of resources, it doesn’t motivate a lot of people to come to college,” said Heidi Martinez, who attended John C. Fremont High School in South L.A. and is now a junior at Cal State LA majoring in child development. She said her high school was “lacking” in many ways and made up of old, deteriorating buildings.
Humberto Delgado said he also supports the measure because he views K-12 as a foundation “for everyone’s education.” What and where children learn when they’re young can affect their whole life.
“Why is this stuff not fixed?” Delgado recalled thinking when he attended public schools. He said the aging and broken infrastructure took away from both the quality of the schools and the education they provided.
Joseph Morales, another student at Cal State LA, said the proposition could also help improve facilities by being “up to code for certain people with disabilities.” He noted that older facilities were often built with only able-bodied people in mind. Morales was a student who frequently noticed broken desks, chairs, and tagged walls growing up in public school. However, he acknowledged the schools simply didn’t have the resources to fix these issues, something he said he thinks Prop. 2 could help with.
This article was cross published at BoyleHeightsBeat.com.
