Gearing up for voting day

State and county-wide ballot measures focus on public school education

Althea Ulin / Asst. News Editor / The USD Editor

March 3 marks the beginning of election season in San Diego with local, state, and national matters on the ballots for voters covering a variety of issues and concerns ranging from sales tax to presidential nominees. Most of the local ballots in San Diego are applicable by district, housing and school zones, affected by income and mortgage taxes. 

 State

California has one state-wide ballot measure for the March 3 vote. The proposition focuses on public school bonds.

 Prop 13

This would approve billions of dollars in bonds to  be used to renovate public schools through using commercial property taxes in school district funding. This proposition has a history of controversy in the state of California as it addresses a ballot intiative that was passed in 1978. This would increase taxes on industrial commercial properties while keeping the same subsidies for homeowners and small, local businesses. Proposition 13 is largely supported by Californians and is popular among national politicians, all Democrats, on the use of property taxes from commercial lots to be used to upgrade the infrastructure of the California public school network. 

Yes on Prop 13: authorizes $15 billion in general obligation bonds (public projects) to school and college facilities. The breakdown has $9 billion to preschool through 12th grade, $4 billion to universities, and $2 billion to community colleges.

No on Prop 13: denies any of these bonds.

Potential effects of Prop 13: As a private school, the state funding affected by this issue will not impact the infrastructure or spending at USD. However, surrounding schools including SDSU, UCSD, and other regional junior colleges will see a fluctuation in their funding sources, from commercial businesses throughout downtown, San Diego county, and along the coast. As a largely commercialized city, San Diego could see a large influx of budget to their public schools and create more opportunities for San Diego natives and public college students. 

Local 

Seven of the 17 ballot measures originating in San Diego County have to do with primary school districts through the greater San Diego area. These voting ballots are specific to the districts of constituents who are looking to pass laws specific to their school systems. 

Many of the other local ballots are specific to cities within San Diego County regarding infrastructure, sales taxes, animal retail, and homelessness.