I want to report the defeat of school bond Measure CK on Nov. 6. The margin of defeat was massive, with 59 percent of the voters opposed to more bonds.
The voters in the Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District overwhelmingly saw through the deceitful language of the bond resolution placed on the ballot by Superintendent Larry King and the governing board. Measure CK was the only school bond defeated in Los Angeles County.
The bond proposition did not conform to the language of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution or the Election and Education codes that regulate the wording of the ballot question. Desperation does not justify deceit.
The sad truth is that the Acton-Agua Dulce district is too small to be self-sustaining. Student enrollment has plunged nearly 50 percent in 10 years, requiring the closure of Acton and Agua Dulce schools. Nearly 90 percent of the budget now goes to district salaries. Almost 100 students from this adjacent district are enrolled in the William S. Hart Union High School District.
It may be time for the governing board to consider a merger with the Hart or Palmdale school districts if they truly want to benefit the students.
Steve Petzold
The Center for Truth in School Bond Measures
Santa Clarita
