Rowland Unified Measure R Bond Wins Voter Approval

ROWLAND HEIGHTS - Nearly 70 percent of voters in Rowland Unified School District on Tuesday voted to pass the district's $158.8 Measure R bond to update district campuses.

The measure will fund a performing arts center at Rowland High School, replace portable classrooms at Oswalt Academy and allow for other improvements.

About 68 percent of voters voted to support the bond measure, while 32 percent voted against it. Like all school bonds in the state, it needs 55 percent voter approval to pass.

This is the third facilities improvement bond local voters have passed in 12 years, following a $77 million bond in 2000 and one for $116 million in 2006.

Under Measure R, property owners within the district's boundaries will pay $39 per $100,000 of assessed value annually. Homeowners are still paying for the 2006 bond.

"The first two bonds were a lot of infrastructure and probably not a lot that the community could really see," said Rowland Unified spokeswoman Gina Ward. "This is actually new buildings."

Board member Heidi Gallegos said the passage of the bond speaks to the community's support of local schools and the district's diligence in demonstrating responsibility of the first two bond measures.

"There's strong support for our great schools," she said.

Despite its support from voters, some parents in the district before the election said they would like to see improvements to academic programs rather than to infrastructure.