Valley voters will weigh the merits of state and local school bond measures on March 2.

Educators hope voters will not be deterred from backing the bonds because of frustration over the state's budget and a competing $15 billion state initiative pushed by Gov. Schwarzenegger -- Proposition 57 -- to help bail out California financially.

Voters will decide on Proposition 55, a $12.3 billion measure to build schools and repair campuses. In addition, many voters in Fresno County will consider local school bond measures to help deal with growing enrollments.

Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at California State University, Fresno, says she believes local bond initiatives -- such as Clovis Unified's $168 million Measure A and Central Unified's $40 million Measure K -- have "a pretty good" shot at passing.

But Prop. 55's fortunes are more difficult to predict. Michelson says having two multibillion-dollar initiatives on the same ballot could cause voters to hesitate.

The bulk of the state measure -- $10 billion -- would go to kindergarten through 12th-grade schools. Of the rest, $920 million would be designated for community colleges, $690 million for University of California facilities and $690 million for California State University campuses.

Pete Mehas, Fresno County schools superintendent, says Propositions 55, 57, and 58 are important. Prop. 58 would require the Legislature to adopt a balanced budget and prohibit borrowing to pay off debt. Educators also await the fate of the governor's proposed state budget, in which school districts fare better than other public agencies.

State school bond measures in the past won voter support because the initiatives benefited children. And Mehas says Prop. 55 deserves passage because "the need is clearly there" and it will create jobs, infusing dollars into the economy.

But nothing's a given this time around. Mehas says he would have preferred to see the state school bond on the November ballot. As it stands now, he says, it will be a close call for the initiative because of Prop. 57: "Both measures together, that makes it dicey."

Kris Vosburgh, executive director for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which opposes the state school bond, says voters are feeling "a great deal of uncertainty" about the economy and stress about their own finances.

"I think voters generally are angry, and I don't think that anger has gone away," he says. "That was expressed in the recall election."

Still, Vosburgh says he suspects Prop. 55 will win and that many local school bond measures "will end up being very close."

The state measure needs a simple majority to pass. The local school bond initiatives need at least 55%. Under Proposition 39, school districts can pursue bond measures at 55% approval if they follow specific conditions, such as establishing a citizens oversight committee to conduct performance and financial audits.

Several local districts are seeking voter approval through Prop. 39, including Central Unified School District, which has nearly 11,900 students this year and is growing by about 400 students annually. New homes are popping up in the district, which lies mostly west of Fresno and Freeway 99. The district hasn't pursued a bond measure since 1992.

"We are overcrowded. We really need the schools, and a lot of the parents know that," says Julia Shields, a parent with two children in the district who is chairwoman for Citizens for Yes on Measure K.

Fresnan Joan Byrd doesn't have any local school bond initiatives on her ballot this time. But she views them similarly: Any effort to help youngsters succeed in school, including new and remodeled classrooms, sets a foundation for a better future.

"If they don't get the help they need to get the education they need, we're going to be in a sad situation 20 years down the road," she said.

Districts across California are depending on Prop. 55 to provide matching funds for projects. For example, California State University, Fresno, hopes to receive $85 million to renovate and expand the Henry Madden Library, the largest research library between Sacramento and Los Angeles.

Central Unified's Measure K committee also is campaigning for Prop. 55, because the district would qualify for at least $25 million in state matching funds if district voters approve its own initiative.

Mehas says that Central and Clovis can make "very strong, strong cases" given their burgeoning enrollments. The student population at Clovis Unified School District, like Central's, continues to mushroom, with about 34,500 students this year. District leaders expect 8,500 more students will be in the district by 2012, pushing enrollment to 43,000.

Mehas also says both districts' credibility will be a factor in persuading voters to back their bond measures: "They have a good chance of getting them passed."

DETAILS

Voters in parts of Fresno County will help decide on Proposition 55, the $12.3 billion state school bond measure, and several local school initiatives:

Clovis Unified School District, Measure A: A $168 million initiative for projects that include three elementary schools, an intermediate school, a high school and renovation work.

Central Unified School District, Measure K: A $40 million initiative for projects that include two elementary schools, a middle school and an athletic stadium, plus improvements at existing schools.

Kingsburg Elementary Charter School District, Measure R: A $7.5 million initiative to qualify for state matching funds and for projects that include an elementary school and variety of facility upgrades.

Washington Colony Elementary School District, Measure B: A $400,000 initiative to qualify for state matching funds and undertake a series of renovations, including restroom improvements and heating/cooling system upgrades.

Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District, Measure O: A $6.4 million initiative for projects that include renovating classrooms, restrooms and locker rooms.

College of the Sequoias, Measure N: A $95 million initiative for projects that include new construction and renovation of aging classrooms.

Source:

Fresno County Elections Office