After a strong bond campaign, led by current Board of Education member, Diana Hill, the Los Al School District’s Board of Education responded by authorizing placement on the November 2008 ballot, Measure K, a general obligation school construction bond. As passed by the voters, Measure K provided $126 million for a wide array of District facility needs, with every campus receiving improvements by having classrooms and facilities repaired, upgraded, and modernized as necessary, along with $2 million for technology needs and $2 million for athletic projects.
Measure K was authorized under Proposition 39 and contained a number of requirements, including the provision by the District of a complete and detailed list of all projects to be undertaken with bond funds. Proposition 39 also included a Citizens’ Oversight Committee, which has had the responsibility of oversight, monitoring, and informing the public of how the District has done throughout the process. This Committee has always confirmed that we have been “On Time and On Budget.” The original bond campaign was led by Hill, who’s now on the Board of Education.
Going beyond
But like all things “Los Al,” the District was able to set an aggressive construction project schedule that allowed them to apply for and receive $24 million in matching state funds. In addition, the District spent 10 percent less on soft costs (i.e., architectural, engineering, construction management) than the average normally dictates, which allowed more funds to go to hard construction and much more than the original project. These additional funds enabled the District to add air conditioning to the sites, modernize all kitchens, add new classrooms at several sites, add a new weight room for all the PE and athletic students at LAHS, provide an All-Weather Track and Field Complex, upgrade the Oak Middle School fields, and modernize the District Auxiliary Offices.
Currently, all but the last two completed projects have been closed out with the California Division of State Architect, and the District has also increased its financial ratings during the financial processes. The District’s bond rating was increased by Standard & Poor’s from “AA-” to “AA” and was affirmed by Moody’s Investors Service at “Aa2”. The rating agencies cited a stable tax base, strong finances, and effective management, which helped to attract a large number of investors, allowing for lower final interest rates. The District restructures the original series of bonds which will save taxpayers over $2 million in interest.
“The District is proud to be good stewards of the public funds as we remain well respected among investors and able to provide so much more to our community and the public tax payers,” commented Patricia Meyer, Los Alamitos USD Deputy Superintendent. “We were committed to achieve more than we promised in the 2008 bond campaign in order to provide students with the environment and tools they need to achieve further academic success, and we have done just that!”
The Los Alamitos Unified School District, which serves the cities of Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and the communities of Rossmoor and Surfside, is a nationally recognized leader in providing top quality education. The achievements have been accrued by the District as a result of the long history of visionary leadership from the District’s Board of Education, as well as from teachers, staff members, parents, and members of the District communities. During its long history, the District has benefited from a community that supports its educational institutions by establishing high standards for academic achievement, while at the same time providing the means required to meet and even surpass those expectations.
