Twice as hopeful

Mike Sciacca

When you stroll across the campus of Ethel Dwyer Middle School, you

see stately white buildings serving as a formidable backdrop to the

manicured front grounds of the school.

But the exterior to the school, built in 1934, is just that -- a

facade. Behind those walls lies a multitude of repair work that needs to

be done to a school that has stood in Downtown Huntington Beach for 68

years.

“I think when you take a look at school maintenance it’s vitally

important to make upgrades, just like any homeowner would,” said Dwyer

Principal Duane Cox. “I can’t explain enough how our district has done

such a great job in the maintenance and upkeep of our school, with what

they have to work with, but the time has definitely come to upgrade and

modernize our schools.”

There are similar needs at several schools throughout the Huntington

Beach City School District, district officials say. It’s why they are

once again hoping that a multimillion dollar school bond measure -- which

they say will help repair, upgrade and modernize its aging buildings --

will be approved by voters within the city school district boundaries

during Tuesday’s primary election.

Measure DD is a general obligation bond program that would authorize

$30 million for school improvements to the district’s elementary and

middle schools.

Opponents of the proposition say the process lacks an independent

oversight committee and amounts to too much of a tax on residents.

If passed, the measure would make the district eligible to receive

$16.7 million in state-matching funds to repair and modernize classrooms

throughout the district.

Among the projects officials have set their sights on are the

replacement of 35-year-old water and sewer systems; upgrading inadequate

classroom electrical systems to improve student access to classroom

computers and technology; and replacing roofs, obsolete classroom heat

systems and outdated fire alarms.

“Our schools are old and need major, basic repair -- plumbing, sewer

and electrical repairs and upgrades,” Huntington Beach City School

District Supt. Gary Rutherford said. “Those needs have not gone away and

passage of the measure will make the schools more safe, more efficient

and more productive learning environments.”

This is the district’s second attempt in 10 months to get a bond

measure approved by voters. In a special election held on June 5, 2001,

Measure S, a $25-million bond put before voters, failed by a slim margin,

gaining 62.4% approval -- falling just shy of the required two-thirds

majority vote.

Poor voter turnout proved to be a detriment to the Measure S campaign,

said its coordinator, Bill Wallace, who is co-coordinator with former

Supt. Duane Dishno on the Measure DD campaign. The new campaign, Wallace

said, has a two-phase plan of attack.

“The campaign is going splendidly,” he said. “What we are doing is

similar to what we did last year, but our goal is, No. 1, to get the

truth out there and two, get the voters to the polls.

“By getting the truth out there we mean to clear up any

misconceptions. This is about renovating those things that get worn down

when a school gets to be 40 or 50 years old, just as you would work on

upgrading a house or building that age.”

The annual tax rate is $16 per $100,000 of assessed property value.

The measure would cost taxpayers less than $1.50 per month, district

officials say.

What may turn out to be a huge boost to Measure DD was the passage

last year of Proposition 39, an initiative that requires the school

district to gain only a 55% majority vote.

But that does not translate to a shoo-in for the bond’s passage, says

City District Board of Trustees member Brian Rechsteiner.

“I would never say that it was a sure thing but there’s a better

chance [of it passing] this time,” he said. “We had the community behind

us last time but voters just didn’t get out to the polls.”

Huntington Beach Union High School District trustee and Huntington

Beach Republican Assembly member Matthew Harper opposed last year’s

Measure S, and is opposed to Measure DD.

Harper is one of four citizens to present the argument against Measure

DD in the voter information pamphlet.

“It is extremely incomplete. There is no repair replacement reserve

and no independent oversight committee. We are interested in doing what’s

right for our community and our children but we oppose the Huntington

Beach City School District’s ‘tax-now-and-ask-questions-later’ proposal,”

he said.

It’s now up to the voters within the Huntington Beach City School

District boundaries to determine whether or not the bond measure will

pass. If the measure fails, Rutherford added, then the need to repair and

upgrade at district school facilities will continue to escalate.

* MIKE SCIACCA is the education and sports reporter. He can be reached

at (714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.