Vote No on QS

Since 1998, Santa Monica residents have approved FOUR BONDS for the school district, totaling NEARLY TWO BILLION DOLLARS, including interest. What did we get in return? Waste, unsafe conditions, and defective new buildings.

Now the school district wants another HALF A BILLION DOLLARS.

Everyone recognizes the importance of our schools. We want our kids to thrive. However, REAL SUPPORT for our kids requires an OUTSIDE AUDIT of all bond spending and results BEFORE agreeing to another bond. The future of Santa Monica schools depends on it. VOTE NO ON QS.

We support our schools, but not with a blank check bond. 10 reasons why it's OK to vote NO on QS.

Santa Monica residents have voted “Yes” for every bond since 1998. We didn’t get what was promised.
The district said it would repair leaky roofs, install HVAC district-wide, and upgrade security systems, but they still aren't done.
The district promised to replace the classroom trailers, and after spending $1.5 BILLION, almost two-thirds of them will still be left, and our teachers and students will continue to suffer in trailers.
The district spent $200 million on ONE building at Samohi that opened in 2022. That building has faucets that don’t work, HVAC that hasn’t functioned properly for at least 2 years, leaky roofs, and foul smells. They also spent $45 million on the JAMS Auditorium, an absurd amount for a middle school auditorium that requires a special operator to work the sound.
The district doesn't allocate sufficient funds to maintain and repair the building we have. It let Muir/SMASH, one of our newest schools, rot from leaky roofs to the point it had to be closed in 2022 and taken down to the studs. This was also our most diverse school.
There is NO LEGALLY BINDING PROJECT LIST. You will have no say over how the money is spent.
The Citizens Oversight Committee has no actual say in the projects and can merely confirm the bond funds are spent on construction since there is no specific project list in the bond measure. Last year, the committee met only TWO TIMES and there are no minutes. The last annual report by the committee was EIGHT YEARS AGO. The district’s accountant ONLY confirms whether money was spent on construction, or not.
This bond will hit property owners and renters and there is no senior exemption.
SMMUSD has DECLINING ENROLLMENT, but it keeps BUILDING MORE AND BIGGER.
SMMUSD's bond ratings have decreased because of deficit spending and dwindling reserves. This means the bond costs residents more.

Examples of Bond Mismanagement

Here are a some examples of how the bond funds have been misspent.

Expensive New Construction
that Doesn't Work

The District spent $200 million on ONE building at Samohi that opened in 2021. That building has faucets that don’t work, HVAC that hasn’t functioned properly for at least 3 years, leaky roofs, and foul smells.
The brand new Lincoln Middle School Field, which disrupted school for a year to build, didn't drain so the cork floated away when it rained.
$45 Million Middle School Auditorium that requires a sound engineer to operate.
Samohi pool locker rooms with no drains or functioning lockers, no solar heating.
Complicated new buildings are more expensive to repair and maintain.

Failure to Maintain
the Facilities we Have

Muir/SMASH, one of our newest schools, had to be closed in 2022 and taken down to the studs because of water damage and mold from years of improperly repaired leaky roofs. This was also our most diverse school.
Most bathrooms are still disgusting because they weren’t upgraded and aren’t cleaned often enough.
JAMS Music Room wasn't repaired when the Auditorium went over budget and had major roof leaks.
Lincoln Auditorium was "refreshed" without fixing the roof leaks or upgrading HVAC to include filters, so the walls are peeling and bubbling and portable air scrubbers loudly operate.
Grant Portables that were promised to be replaced since 2006 started leaking and had to be replaced with more portables.

Not Building
What the Community Wants

District Building Specifications call for larger classrooms to hold more kids (35 per class) instead of lowering class size.
District Building Specifications reduce open space and play space.
Outside architects are using glass walls, which teachers and students have said are not appropriate for classrooms.
SMMUSD has DECLINING ENROLLMENT, but it keeps BUILDING MORE AND BIGGER.
District is choosing to expand preschool, which is NOT required, while leaving our K-12 students in trailers.
District is prioritizing trends like "makerspaces" over basic needs.

Unsafe Conditions

The District discontinued third-party oversight during removal of arsenic from soil.
The District spent millions fighting the community about toxic PCBs instead of cleaning it up.
The District refused to spend $300,000 on filters for clean air district-wide that would have benefitted every student and teacher.
SMMUSD has no FEMA-approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. The last one expired in 2010.
In 2016, they promised completion in four years for $33 million. They still aren’t done. They claim to be 90% done, but they are only referring to classrooms and have no plans to air condition certain gyms and auditorium space.
District promised upgraded safety and security systems since Sandy Hook, 2012. They still aren't done.
Construction error caused chlorine gas to leak at the Drake Pool and injure students.
New Samohi Pool is feet from the 10 freeway, exposing athletes to air pollution daily.
Lack of FEMA-approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan since 2010.

Destruction of Historic Resources

Demolition of the Samohi History Building, despite pleas from Neighborhood Organizations, SMart, the Santa Monica Conservancy, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and a petition signed by 6000 people.
Neglect of the Muir Woods Mural until it crumbled and had to be removed, and failure to bring the muralist back to replace it.
Demolition of the JAMS Auditorium instead of repairing it.
Refusal to comply with local community standards for historic preservation in its new Historic Resources Policy, which means the District won't honor local historic and landmark designations.

Lack of Accountability

The bond is a blank check.
There is no legally binding project list in the bond.
The Citizens Oversight Committee has no actual say in the projects and can merely confirm the bond funds are spent on construction since there is no specific project list in the bond measure. Last year, the committee met only TWO TIMES and there are no minutes. The last annual report by the committee was EIGHT YEARS AGO.
The CPA Performance Audit only confirms that the funds were spent "in accordance with the bond", which can be spent on anything related to school construction.
The district started projects they can’t finish without another bond to hold residents hostage at the ballot box.
SMMUSD's bond ratings have decreased because of deficit spending and dwindling reserves. This means the bond costs residents more.
Six years after the last bond passed in 2018 promising the "first thing" would be a master plan for the District, there still isn't one.

Photo Gallery of Bond Mismanagement

Here are a few examples of how the bond funds have been misspent.

Who Supports Accountability BEFORE Approving Another Bond?

The Measure QS Bond is opposed by civic organizations, community leaders, residents, alumni, teachers, and staff.

Our students and teachers will continue to suffer in substandard facilities unless there is some accountability. The only way to get facilities that prioritize our students and teachers, instead of a few expensive buildings while other buildings continue to fall into disrepair, is to VOTE NO on QS.

List of Opponents