PROP 2: Fund our schools and community colleges

Students should be able to learn in a safe environment without having to worry about health issues that could arise from being exposed to mold and other dangerous conditions. Teachers and other school staff – who are already underpaid and overworked – also deserve to educate in an environment that meets basic safety standards. Yet, 38% of students in California go to schools that do not meet minimum facility standards.

Prop 2 would enable California to borrow $10 billion to improve thousands of schools across the state through repairs and upgrades. Some of the uses for this bond include addressing hazardous mold, leaky roofs, and septic systems, building classrooms, modernizing science labs, and replacing aging buildings. The current fund to repair issues on school campuses is expected to be depleted by January 2025. 

Investing in our schools is a key step in addressing public safety concerns by ensuring that students can learn in an environment that enables them to succeed. It’s these types of investments in our education that actually work to curb crime, not our punitive carceral system and other harsh crime policies. 
Some of the money in this bond would also go to community colleges, whose student population is disproportionately low-income and BIPOC. Students of color make up 60% of community college enrollment in California. Funding repairs and ensuring basic health standards are met is also about ensuring community college students get to feel safe on campuses, just like their counterparts at more affluent colleges.