What bond measure?
The rancor over suddenly derailing the School District’s high-profile bond measure on July 1, an anger that hung from the sky for two months as loudly as the summer sun, evaporated as fast as a pin-sized wet spot at Tuesday night’s community meeting.
Not one unhappy person was spotted in the capacity audience at the Garden Room in the Vets Auditorium – from District leaders to ordinary parents.
That was Miracle No. 1. The second one was that Supt. Dave LaRose meticulously stayed with his transparent strategy to make the work study session a “just-the-facts” evening exploring the state of numerous capital projects, facilities’ needs and a thorough delineation of past, current and future bonds, from Measure T to Measure EE (the parcel tax) and the un-named baby bond measure that is expected to go on the Culver City ballot in the spring.
The latest satisfied customer to be encountered is the always upbeat Mike Reynolds, Asst. Supt. for business.
“The meeting was well received,” in the judgment of Mr. Reynolds. “The tone of the audience was positive. Very good questions were asked. The School Board was able to provide answers to even the most complex questions, with the assistance of our financial advisor, Chet Wang, of Keygent. He did a remarkably clear job of explaining the intricacies of both bond measures and parcel taxes.”
A Passing Grade
[img]1705|right|Mike Reynolds||no_popup[/img]Mr. Reynolds said that the meeting “solely was information-based. Keygent explained the different methods of financing that are available to fund school districts. Gil Fullen of Balfour Beatty (Construction) explained the needs assessment and provided a more concise perspective on the types of projects that would be addressed through a bond measure.”
The uppermost question the crowd was asking after the two-hour workshop was:
Where do we go from here?
What will it take to get the bond on a ballot next spring?
“That,” said Mr. Reynolds, “is a School Board decision.”
Hmmm.
Last seen, three members of the Board believed that plenty of time should be taken before the bond measure goes to a ballot, and two are ready to serve it up for lunch today.
That calculus could change in 60 days, however, with three Board seats at stake in the Nov. 5 election. One chair will change for sure, with Prof. Pat Siever stepping aside when her term expires in the late autumn.
