Proposition Z, San Diego Unified’s school bond, passed with 60 percent of the vote Tuesday night. A 55 percent approval was required.
The measure asked voters to raise their property taxes to pay for $2.8 billion in borrowing and repayment costs.
While San Diego's school bond is the largest in the state, many other school districts also had bonds on the ballot. Their results were mixed:
- Proposition C, the Cajon Valley Union School District school bond, had 56 percent Yes votes and 44 percent No votes. A 55 percent approval is required.
- Proposition D, the Dehesa Elementary School District school bond, had 52 percent Yes votes and 47 percent No votes. A 55 percent approval is required.
- Proposition E, the Chula Vista Elementary School District school bond, had 66 percent Yes votes and 33 percent No votes. A 55 percent approval is required.
- Proposition G, the Mountain Empire Safe and Modern Classrooms Measure, had 56 percent Yes votes and 44 percent No votes. A 55 percent approval is required.
- Proposition R, the Ramona Unified School District school bond, had 50.5 percent Yes votes and 49.5 percent No votes. A 55 percent approval is required.
- Proposition V, the East County, Grossmont College and Cuyamaca College Students, Active Military and Veterans Affordable Education and Job Training Measure, had 56.5 percent Yes votes and 43.5 percent No votes. A 55 percent approval is required.
- Proposition Y, the South Bay Union Elementary School District school bond, had 74 percent Yes votes and 26 percent No votes. A 55 percent approval is required.
- Proposition AA, the San Dieguito Union High School District school bond, had 54.5 percent Yes votes and 45.5 percent No votes. A 55 percent approval is required.
- Proposition CC, the 21st-Century Classrooms and Technology Measure for the Del Mar Union Elementary School District, had 53 percent Yes votes and 47 percent No votes. A 55 percent approval is required.
- Proposition EE, the Miracosta Community College Repair/Career Training Measure, had 54 percent Yes votes and 46 percent No votes. A 55 percent approval is required.
School districts can use voter-approved long-term bonds to fund facility construction and repair and, so long as it is spelled out in the list of bond projects, some equipment and furnishings.
San Diego Unified got voters to approve another bond, Proposition S, just four years ago. But the recession undermined the housing values borrowing for that bond program relied upon.
Scott Barnett, vice president of the San Diego Unified Board of Education, said without a new bond, projects under the old bond will stop, or the district will have to use riskier forms of debt that count on housing values skyrocketing in the future.
But Chris Cate at the San Diego County Taxpayers Association said many of the projects, like repairing building facades or improving athletic fields, were supposed to happen under the last bond.
More than 100 districts are seeking bonds statewide.
