Quick Take
Measure H would allow the flailing Live Oak School District to issue $44 million in bonds, and would cost property owners $30 per $100,000 of assessed property annually for 30 years. It’s hard to trust a school district that has shown such ineptitude, but that funding is what’s needed to support kids, teachers and right the ship.
Editor’s note: A Lookout View is the opinion of our Community Voices opinion section, written by our editorial board, which consists of Community Voices Editor Jody K. Biehl and Lookout Founder Ken Doctor. Our goal is to connect the dots we see in the news and offer a bigger-picture view — all intended to see Santa Cruz County meet the challenges of the day and to shine a light on issues we believe must be on the public agenda. These views are distinct and independent from the work of our newsroom and its reporting.
No, Measure H won’t remedy the shocking budget shortfalls in Live Oak School District.
School administrators and the Live Oak board are scrambling to understand and explain how such budget strictures could have happened – and why no one raised a public alarm and shared news of the crisis until state deadlines were upon them. Well-covered in Lookout, that scramble won’t prevent layoffs and other cuts, which will unfortunately penalize the students of its six schools (Del Mar Elementary School, Green Acres Elementary School, Live Oak Elementary School, Ocean Alternative School, Tierra Pacifica Charter School and Shoreline Middle School).
It might be tempting for voters in the district to throw up their hands when being asked to support Measure H on election day. But, in Lookout’s view, that would be a mistake.
While the Measure H money couldn’t be used to make up the shortfall, it would be useful to modernize the schools, construct classrooms, restrooms and school facilities and install ventilation and air conditioning systems, and more. The district’s students need those improvements, and shouldn’t be penalized over current mismanagement concerns. It’s a long-term investment, one that will need to be managed better and more publicly.
Measure H would allow Live Oak School District to issue $44 million in bonds, with property owners in the district paying about $30 per $100,000 of assessed property value annually for 30 years or until the bond is paid.
The measure needs more than 55% of the vote to be adopted. We support its approval.