Glendale School Board OKs $186-Million Bond for Ballot

GLENDALE —  The school board voted unanimously Wednesday to put a $186-million bond initiative on the June 3 election ballot to raise money to renovate the district’s aging schools.

If approved, the money would be used to fix most of the district’s 19 elementary, five middle school and four high school campuses, more than half of which were built in the first half of the century, officials said.

The $186 million would also include enough money to rebuild two elementary schools and construct a major addition to Crescenta Valley High School, as Supt. James Brown has proposed.

The board approved the bond election after a survey of 400 people expected to vote--conducted by a consultant earlier this month--indicated there was “a very good chance” that it will receive the necessary two-thirds vote to pass, district spokesman Vic Pallos said.

“The indicators are strong. The community is aware of the issue and the need,” Pallos said.

Homeowners would be assessed an average of about $50 per year for every $100,000 of assessed value of their property to repay the bonds, officials said. The repayment period would be 38 years, ending in 2035.

Officials say outdated plumbing, heating, lighting and electrical systems are common in the district, and many buildings need new wiring so they can accommodate computers, audiovisual systems and other new technology.

“Some of the schools here date back to the teens and 1920s, and haven’t been renovated since the 1940s or ‘50s,” Pallos said.