Classrooms for career technical education are overcrowded, and the Wasco Union High School District is looking to expand them with Proposition 2.
After years of neglect and lack of investment, it is evident that California’s schools are in urgent need of repair. Many school districts in the state struggle with old and unsafe buildings, outdated classrooms, and unsafe conditions for their students.
According to a recent report from the Public Policy Institute of California, 38% of K-12 students in California attend schools that do not meet the state’s minimum safety standards. This poses a significant danger and is completely unacceptable. Numerous studies have shown that poor environmental conditions, such as poor air quality, lack of natural light, and unsafe building facilities, have a significant negative impact on students’ academic performance.
Unfortunately, California is running out of funds for school repairs, with no dedicated funding source and no new state school bond measures in nearly a decade. Unlike many other states, California does not have a specific funding stream for school facility investments, leaving districts reliant on state or local bonds for upgrades.
As a result, California’s school repair fund is expected to be depleted by January, leaving many schools unable to make necessary repairs or upgrades without additional funding from sources like a well-funded PTA or local bond measures. While wealthier districts may be able to manage, low-income communities would be severely impacted.
As the state superintendent of public instruction, I have overseen the allocation of billions of dollars for K-12 school construction and modernization from the last state bond. However, these funds were insufficient to meet California’s extensive needs and were quickly exhausted.
That is why Proposition 2, a bond measure on the upcoming November ballot that would provide $8.5 billion for TK-12 school facility renovations and $1.5 billion for community colleges, is crucial. It represents a necessary step forward to address the pressing need for upgrades in California schools.
To access state bond funds, districts must attempt to raise a local bond and then apply for a funding match from the State Facilities Program. Districts unable to raise more than $15 million from a local bond can receive up to a 100% match.
Proposition 2, along with local bonds, would help upgrade facilities at public elementary, middle, and high schools as well as community colleges across California, including building more classrooms, modernizing science labs, enhancing gymnasiums, constructing performing arts centers, and replacing old buildings.
Most importantly, Proposition 2 would help establish basic 21st-century facility standards in all schools across the state, providing much-needed funding for low-income districts to repair essential systems like heating and air conditioning, fix leaky roofs, and address hazardous conditions such as black mold. Some funds would also be used to remove lead from water, create transitional kindergarten classrooms, and build career and technical education facilities.
Significantly, the proposal includes improvements to ensure that funding is distributed equitably to districts in need. Ten percent of the funds would be allocated to small districts struggling to secure funding for upgrades, and the formula for allocating state funds prioritizes low-wealth districts and those with high numbers of disadvantaged students.
Without Proposition 2, smaller and lower-income school districts would struggle to fund critical improvements, relying solely on state bonds for repairs. Additionally, while job creation is not the main focus of the measure, investments from Proposition 2 would generate thousands of construction jobs across the state, boosting local economies.
Ultimately, California’s schools urgently require modernization and repairs, and the funding needed to address these issues has been depleted. Proposition 2 would provide vital investments to improve schools, tackle the backlog of repair requests, and enhance conditions for students statewide.
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Tony Thurmond is the superintendent of public instruction in California and a candidate for governor in 2026.
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