EERI recommends a Yes vote on California Proposition 2, a $10 billion school facilities bond to support new construction and renovation, including seismic upgrades, of K-12 public school and community college facilities. Prop. 2 will provide an opportunity to implement much-needed repairs and health and safety upgrades, including seismic retrofits for existing buildings, and to invest in new facilities for school districts across the state. The proposition accords with EERI’s established support and advocacy for policies to promote school seismic safety.
California has some of the most rigorous oversight measures for design and construction of public schools anywhere in the United States. However, the state still has a large inventory of older schools built with structural systems that are of high risk of significant damage or collapse in earthquakes. Public schools constructed before the adoption of adequate seismic building codes share seismic vulnerabilities common to other buildings of similar age, but several considerations set school buildings apart from their peers as a priority for seismic assessment and retrofit:
- Students are a vulnerable population, due to their age and developmental stage. They are dependent on adults to provide safety, whereas adults are presumed capable of consenting to and accepting risks.
- School buildings in many communities often remain in use longer than comparable structures in private ownership, and tend to receive less frequent and consistent investment in capital renewal.
- Community members and public officials alike often expect that schools will provide community shelter or host public services in the wake of a natural disaster.
- The collapse of a school building is particularly devastating, because schools can hold an entire generation (all or most children of a certain age range in the community) and children spend much of their time at school. Unsafe school buildings put a community’s future at risk.
For these reasons, EERI supports policies that establish funding mechanisms, financial assistance, and incentives to finance programs for the retrofit or replacement of school buildings. Proposition 2 authorizes California to issue a state general obligation bond that would provide $10,000,000,000 to construct and modernize education facilities, including $8,500,000,000 for elementary and secondary educational facilities and $1,500,000,000 for community college facilities.
The $8.5 billion dedicated to K-12 schools has designated funding for four types of projects:
- Renovation/modernization of existing buildings ($4 billion)
- New construction (including land purchases) ($3.3 billion)
- Facilities for career technical education ($600 million)
- Charter Schools ($600 million)
The remaining $1.5 billion is allocated to community colleges, and the measure specifically requires that community colleges prioritize seismic retrofitting.
EERI members based in California are encouraged to vote “Yes” on the November 2024 election ballot for California Proposition 2. If the proposition passes, members are also encouraged to coordinate with the EERI California Legislative Subcommittee and Regional Chapters to advocate in their local communities for the allocation of the resulting funds to prioritize seismic retrofit and safety needs for K-12 schools.
Additional Information:
- Proposition 2: Authorizes Bonds for Public School and Community College Facilities (PDF)
- EERI Policy Position Statement: Schools shall be URM Free by 2033 (recommends measures to “allocate funding for school retrofit and replacement projects”)
- EERI Policy Position Statement: Mitigation of Nonstructural Hazards in Schools (recommends “establish[ing] funding mechanisms, financial assistance, and incentives to finance mitigation of nonstructural hazards.”)
- AB300 Sesmic Safety Inventory (information about the seismic safety inventory of K-12 schools from the Division of the State Architect)
- School Earthquake Safety Resources compiled by EERI's School Eathquake Safety Initiative (SESI)
- Yes on Prop 2 (Californians for Quality Schools)
