$34-Million Bond for School Repairs to Be Placed on Ballot

Tired of the sight of buckets catching rain dripping through leaky school roofs, the Monrovia school board has called for a special election on a $34-million bond measure to repair aging buildings.

Monrovia’s Board of Education late Wednesday unanimously decided to ask voters June 3 to approve a bond issue to fund repairs at campuses with deteriorating roofs, decaying plumbing and inadequate electrical systems.

“We are putting a lot of effort into education programs, but there comes a point when you have to take care of physical facilities and we feel that time is now,” Board President Bruce Carter said.

The bond measure would provide funding for dozens of repairs outlined in a school improvement master plan drawn up with the participation of parents and community leaders, school officials said. But it will have a price for district homeowners: about $54 annually for the average household.

“We are going in with our eyes open, we know now how much work this will take, but we think our kids are worth it,” said Carter, a father of three district students.

Supt. Louise Taylor said district officials and financial advisors studied options for funding repairs to the 30- to 70-year-old buildings. They concluded that a bond issue was the only way to proceed.

“Our community is completely supportive of improving our facilities to meet our students’ needs,” she said.

Taylor said many classrooms that serve the 6,300 students do not have adequate wiring to support modern teaching equipment, such as computers.

“At one of our elementary schools, we installed ceiling fans because there wasn’t enough ventilation, but when we turned on the fans, the lights dimmed,” she said.

The special election will cost the district $50,000 to $60,000, officials said.