Measure A captured 47 of 52 precincts

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- The $110-million school bond approved by voters June 6

gained at least two-thirds voter support in 47 of Newport-Mesa’s 52

precincts.

To those who supported and campaigned for the school bond, the high

number of precinct victories is an affirmation of their hard work.

“What came across to me as I looked at the data is there was support

everywhere -- Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa -- it was all the

same,” said Mark Schultheis, a co-chairman of the Measure A campaign

committee. “This really pulled the community together.”

In fact, Measure A gained more than 50% of voter support in all but the

two precincts in Newport Coast, the origin of the only organized bond

opposition.

In Newport Coast, a small group of residents felt they should be excluded

from the tax because they live in a Mello-Roos district -- where

homeowners pay a special tax for the construction of new facilities, such

as post offices and schools.

But even in those two precincts, opposition was not overwhelming, with a

total of 239 people who voted for the bond and 326 against.

“Overall, Newport Coast wasn’t a factor at all,” Schultheis said. “There

were very few voters there.”

Other than the two in Newport Coast, the three other precincts where the

measure just barely missed the two-thirds mark were Temple Bat Yam,

Beverly Manor Nursing Center and Newport Harbor Lutheran Church, which

also included the Mello-Roos district of the Castaways.

With 1,036 residents showing up to cast their ballots, Newport Harbor

Lutheran Church represented the precinct with the highest voter turnout.

In fact, Newport Beach voters outnumbered those in Costa Mesa by about

2,000. Nearly 9,000 Newport residents headed to the polls June 6, while

in Costa Mesa, about 7,000 turned out to vote.

The successful passage of the school bond means the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District will now have $110 million of the $163 million needed to

repair all 29 of its aging schools. The district plans to get the

remaining $53 million from the state in the form of matching funds.

“I think the community came together and, except for those two precincts,

supported its schools,” said school board member Judy Franco. “I always

felt that the community would listen if the [campaign] committee was able

to present the facts, and the community would vote accordingly.”