Board Members Approve Assessment to Raise $450,000

The Bonita Unified School District Tuesday approved a districtwide assessment that will raise nearly $450,000 this year through fees to residents and property owners.

The board of the district, which serves students in San Dimas and La Verne, approved the measure 4 to 0 after a public hearing at Ramona Middle School in La Verne.

The annual fees are $20 per home, $14.46 per apartment or condominium unit and $10.34 per mobile home. Owners of most commercial properties will pay $50 per acre or $25 if their business parcel is less than half an acre.

The fees must be reauthorized annually and can be used only for district facilities that are available for public use. This year’s assessments will help pay for watering costs, new water-saving sprinkler and irrigation systems, and the renovation of gymnasiums and outdoor play areas.

The legality of such fees, which have been approved by a number of school districts, is currently being challenged in court. Opponents call the fee a device to get around property tax limits established by Proposition 13 and other laws.