Bonita School Board Votes to Add Bond Measure to June Ballot
A proposed school facilities bond could fund campus repairs, security upgrades and classroom improvements. Here’s what the proposal includes, how school bonds work and what it could mean for taxpayers.
The Bonita Unified School District Board of Education voted 5-0 to add a new bond measure to the June ballot during the board meeting on Wednesday.
Under state law, a school district bond election must be ordered by the Board of Education.
Staci Baird
According to a district-issued Neighborhood School Update brochure, Bonita Unified has completed a comprehensive Facilities Master Plan that identified more than $200 million in repairs and updates needed across all school sites—costs that exceed funding provided by previous bond measures passed in 2004 and 2008.
The brochure highlights districtwide needs, including:
- HVAC systems more than 30 years old
- Plumbing systems with original components 50–80 years old
- Fire alarm upgrades needed at most school sites
- Security cameras in only about 15% of schools
- Heavy reliance on portable classrooms, which make up roughly one-third of classrooms, many of which are more than 50 years old
- Outdated science labs and vocational classrooms that no longer meet current educational or safety standards
The district also noted that the state does not provide adequate funding for school facility improvements, leaving local districts to pay for major repairs and modernization.
According to a Bonita Unified fact sheet, a potential school bond measure would cost property owners $59 per $100,000 of assessed value each year for as long as the bonds remain outstanding. The fact sheet states that approval of the measure would also allow the district to compete for tens of millions of dollars in state matching funds that could otherwise go to other school districts.
Taxpayers are currently paying on two previous bond measures passed in 2004 and 2008. These bonds will drop off in 2032 and 2038. The funds were used for:
- Technology upgrades in classrooms
- Security upgrades
- Renovations at every school
- Data line installation underground at elementary schools
- New lunch shelters and outdoor cafes
Proposition 39, approved by voters in 2000, requires school districts to conduct annual financial and performance audits of bond spending, maintain a citizens’ oversight committee, and make annual reports publicly available. Bond funds may be used only for repairing, constructing or replacing school facilities and classrooms and cannot be used for salaries, pensions, including those of administrators, or other operating expenses. According to a Neighborhood School Update presentation, "facility needs exceed the funding that the 2004 and 2008 bond measures provided. According to the district, more than $200 million in urgent repairs and upgrades have been identified across all school sites.
School bond measures often prompt debate among voters about the cost of property taxes and how districts prioritize facility improvements. The measure will ultimately be decided by voters in the June election. It will need 55% approval from voters to pass.
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More information
🔗 Neighborhood School Update presentation
🔗 BUSD Bond FAQ (pdf)
🔗 BUSD Bond Fact Sheet (pdf)
🔗 2025-26 Facilities Master Plan (pdf)
Disclosure: The editor has children who attend schools in the Bonita Unified School District.
La Verne Daily News
