Voters support school funding measures, union-backed candidates lead LAUSD board races

School funding measures at both the state and local level appear headed toward success, meaning billions of dollars in funding for school repairs, upkeep, and new construction in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Who will ultimately be accountable for how that money is spent remains to be seen. With a majority of votes counted in L.A. County, candidates in two of the three open seats on the LAUSD school board appear to have solid leads. The sole incumbent holds a narrow margin over his opponent.

The seven members of the LAUSD board oversee the nation's second-largest school district, with more than 538,000 students enrolled. The district is also the county's second-largest employer with more than 74,000 educators, administrators, and support staff on its payroll.

School funding measures

LAUSD asked voters to approve Measure US , a property tax increase to fund $9 billion in renovation and repair projects. Early returns show voters poised to do so.

If California voters also approve Proposition 2 — and vote totals so far suggest they will — that could mean an additional $700 million in matching funds from the state.

Throughout California, 38% of K-12 students go to schools that do not meet the minimum standard to be considered clean, safe, and functional. Poorly maintained schools are prone to disruption during extreme weather, like September's heat wave and the historic storms last winter. They may even pose health risks to students and staff.

Research links higher student achievement to better quality schools — it's easier to learn in clean, climate-controlled, well-lit classrooms.

The money borrowed through Measure US would be paid back through a new property tax that could last up to 35 years, though the amount of the tax will likely taper off in later years of the bond. The district estimates the bond would cost property owners that live within LAUSD's boundaries just over $25 per $100,000 of assessed value each year.

Sheena Porter voted Tuesday at a South L.A. elementary school. She said she's generally supportive of education measures and wants to see schools made more resilient against climate change.

"The fact that they don't have [working] air conditioning in the classrooms, that's a big deal," she said. "When the climate changes and the temperatures get higher and higher, to be in a hot classroom for hours at a time, it's hard to focus."

Voters in LAUSD have historically felt the same, approving six bonds since 1997.

"Whatever [schools] need, I vote for," Porter said, "because that's our next generation to come."

Board District 1

In Board District 1 , longtime Dorsey High School educator Sherlett Hendy Newbill leads community organizer Kahllid Al-Alim by 40 percentage points. The winner will represent L.A.'s Mid-City, Crenshaw, Arlington Heights, and Westmont neighborhoods on the school board.

Hendy Newbill's experience more closely matches current District 1 board member (and mentor) George McKenna, who is retiring. Hendy Newbil, who most recently served as an education policy advisor in McKenna's office, has decades of experience as a high school leader and strong endorsements from sitting board members and other political leaders.

"I've learned that the people of this community, they desperately and honestly want representation from this community," Hendy Newbill said. "It's been an honor to listen to folks as I knock on doors."

She said voters told her they want to know that their voices are heard by LAUSD leaders.

"They want to be able to know that they have a door that's open, that they can come and be able to share their ideas and viewpoints," she said. "That there's an opportunity for them to see change within the board district."

Al-Alim told LAist in an email before the election that he planned to spend election night with family and friends. "Thanks to everyone that helped me get to this point," Al-Alim wrote. "It has been a wonderful journey and a life-changing experience. District One deserves a bold leader who's not afraid to challenge opposition to making all students in general, Black and Brown students specifically, successful and productive citizens."

Al-Alim's campaign lost a groundswell of support and the endorsement of the powerful teachers union after social media posts endorsing antisemitic ideas resurfaced during the primary. Al-Alim has since offered an apology. Since the primary, Al-Alim's campaign has refunded more than $2,000 in contributions, and it has raised zero dollars for the most recent filing period that ran July 1 to Sept. 21. His campaign has spent just $18 in that same period. He also shuttered his campaign website.

Board District 3

Incumbent Scott Schmerelson faces a tight contest against challenger Dan Chang, a middle school math teacher, who spent years working in the charter school industry. Chang has benefited from more than $5 million in outside spending, mainly from charter school supporters.

The winner will represent West San Fernando Valley and Studio City.

The candidates diverged the most when discussing how the district should handle independently run charter schools. Schmerelson supports limiting their access to traditional public school campuses in high-needs communities while Chang says co-locations benefit students and families from either school.

Board District 5

As of Wednesday morning, former special education teacher Karla Griego holds a solid lead over Graciela "Grace" Ortiz.

The winning candidate will replace retiring LAUSD Board president Jackie Goldberg. And they will represent the unusually shaped board district that cuts through a wide variety of neighborhoods: The Eastside communities of Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, parts of Silver Lake, Hollywood, and Koreatown, as well as Vernon, Maywood, Huntington Park, and South Gate.

This race split the endorsement of major school labor groups. Griego's agenda closely matches that of the teachers union and is focused on systemic changes like increasing investments in alternatives to school police. Ortiz talked about finding compromises on some of the most contentious issues including charter schools and school policing.

They both believe schools still lack the funding needed to help students thrive. Both were critical of the district's decision to eliminate a literacy program, Primary Promise, focused on students in kindergarten through third grade.

What's next?

The Los Angeles County Registrar anticipates updating election results late Wednesday afternoon.

Voters told LAist that they're expecting returns on their votes.

Roxane Hernandez waited for over an hour in line to vote at Gage Middle School in Huntington Park. She has a daughter entering middle school next year, and wants to make sure she has access to programs and opportunities that will prepare her for college.

"I feel like some schools are very limited to certain things," she said, "I want kids to be able to feel confident about going to school and knowing that they're going to get the help they need."