It lacks the cachet that comes with an Arnold Schwarzenegger TV ad, but Proposition 55 -- a proposal to sell $12.3 billion in bonds to bolster the infrastructure of California's sagging schools -- has no shortage of powerful supporters.

Its opponents, while lower-profile, are no less formidable, because their concerns echo those voiced during kitchen-table talks in households across the state.

``At some point, we've got to stop spending money,'' said Mark Bernal, a San Jose police officer. ``We've got to say, `Timeout here. We can't borrow anymore.' ''

If a majority of voters share his view, a lot of school administrators will be disappointed. Among Santa Clara County schools, applications for new construction and modernization funds from the state total about $265 million. Statewide, the figure is $16 billion.

``These facilities need to be improved right now,'' said Gary Rummelhoff, president of the Santa Clara County School Boards Association.

Polls indicate the race will be tight, although in the recent past California voters have given strong support to school funding measures. As recently as November 2002, a $13.1 billion bond measure designed to build and repair public school facilities passed easily. Almost all that money has been allocated, and Proposition 55 is being billed as the second half of the fundraising effort.

Some of its biggest boosters are in Silicon Valley, from the Bay Area Council, to the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, to an array of teacher and administrator groups. All agree area schools need an infusion of funds to be upgraded and expanded.

But their task is tougher this time around. Since the first measure passed in 2002, the state has plummeted into a financial crisis, and Gov. Schwarzenegger now is pushing Proposition 57, a $15 billion bond proposal to refinance the state's debt, to try to remedy that. The prospect of passing both measures and adding another $27.3 billion to the state's debt has many Californians thinking twice.

Public debt drawback

The Jarvis Taxpayers Association in Sacramento opposes Proposition 55. ``Not because of the purpose of the bond, which we think is worthwhile, but because we don't think this is a good time to be expanding public debt,'' said executive director Kris Vosburgh.

But advocates of the measure say schools can't wait. Income from the bond sale would provide matching funds for a long list of construction and repairs. In Santa Clara County, districts are waiting to complete funding for projects from asphalt to roofs, and pretty much anything structural in-between.

At Wilcox High School in Santa Clara, Principal Tab Taber is hoping for repairs to a leaky roof. During the rains on Wednesday, Taber said custodian Joe Miller was on the roof wearing a black plastic garbage bag as a poncho, trying to stop water from dripping into the computer lab.

The school -- which like many others in Silicon Valley and throughout the state is 40-plus years old -- has many ``mundane, practical things'' that need fixing, Taber said. For example, the heating and cooling system is inconsistent.

``We can have one room that's hot, and in the room next door the heater doesn't work at all. It's not a good learning environment at either extreme.''

Most for K-12

Of the $12.3 billion in Proposition 55 bonds, $10 billion would go toward K-12 schools, a little over half of that for new construction.

About $2.3 billion would be divided among community colleges, the University of California and California State University campuses.

Even among advocates for more school funding, there is some sentiment to delay support for Proposition 55 until the November election, where it will resurface if it fails this time around. But there are practical problems posed by a delay, said Rummelhoff. He pointed out that several local districts recently passed bond measures of their own, which would go much further if matched by Proposition 55 funds.

In most cases, the state would pay half the cost of new construction projects, and 60 percent of renovation costs. (Some funds would be set aside for districts that have been unable to raise money on their own.)

Rummelhoff, who also is chairman of the San Jose Unified board of trustees, said his district was one of the ``biggest beneficiaries'' of the 2002 bond measure. The district got almost $100 million in matching funds, funding an array of projects.

Those schools still waiting in the funding line would suffer a severe setback if Proposition 55 were postponed, he said. ``You either have to delay projects to wait for matching funds, or just not get any at all.''