Prop. 30 Bombed with CUSD Voters

Although a majority of state voters agreed to raise taxes temporarily for schools, voters in the Capistrano Unified School District did not.

Superintendent Joseph Farley said Wednesday night at a forum at Aliso Niguel High School that because the district pays Orange County for election services, it just received detailed information about the November election.

In the sprawling school district that spans seven cities and several unincorporated areas, 166,212 of 226,177 voters, or 73.5 percent, went to the polls in 247 precincts, said Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley.

Of those, 65 percent voted against Prop. 30, Farley said.

“It was really not supported by Capistrano voters, even though it passed,” Farley said. “That has interesting implications for the district in short and long term.”

Years of slashing the district’s budget have taken a toll, Farley said Wednesday. The school year was shortened by a week this year, class sizes were increased and many schools skipped much needed maintenance and upgrades.

Although there are no solid plans to push a parcel tax or local bond measure, such efforts may not be fruitful anyway, Farley intimated.

“For bonds and other measures – I think it was a very telling figure,” he said.

A parent asked if Prop. 30 would mean any new money for the district. Farley answered essentially, no.

What it does do is guarantee there will be no mid-year cuts, he said. It also prevented the district from pulling the trigger on $21 million in further cuts.

In June, the district cut its budget by $30 million, and those cannot be restored by Prop. 30, Farley said.

“With the passage of 30, we’re still with the worst school budget we’ve ever had. It’s just not $21 million worse,” Farley said.

 53,890