Schools asked voters to show them the money and it looks like many are reluctant to open their wallets.

Around 8:15pm on March 3, at the Center for Change in Seaside, the local Democratic headquarters, there was a small crowd of around 20 people buzzing around. A few were trying to find a good live stream of national elections, others chatted away at the set up foldaway chairs, while some circled the neatly organize buffet of chips and other snacks.

Just as someone found the volume button to amplify the live coverage of the Democratic presidential nominees, a voice from broke through the broadcast: “Oh, we don’t care about that!.” Local voters have a lot on their plates including a big helping of school funding for facility projects. 

King City Union School District, Soledad Unified School District and Pacific Grove Unified School District were all floating school facilities bonds. In addition, the statewide Prop. 13 is also up for a vote, which will help provide $15 billion in matching funds for improving school facilities. 

But the results weren’t looking good by 8:15pm, save for PGUSD’s Measure D. King City Union School District floated two bonds, measures A and B. They were to fund infrastructure improvements for student safety and security, as well as modernization, respectively. Soledad Unified School District Measure E, would be a pioneering bond in Monterey County that would fund teacher housing. These bonds need a 55 percent vote to pass. 

By 8:15pm, KCUSD’s Measure A was coming polling at 54.78 percent yes to 45.22 percent no vote, just a few votes away from a solid pass. Soledad had more abysmal results: Measure E was counted at 48.47 percent yes to a 51.3 percent no vote. SUSD’s Superintendent, Tim Vanoli, however showed he wasn’t quite disheartened yet and reported the mood in Soledad was generally positive. “I think our community cares about education,” he says. “There’s not much to do but to sit back and watch the numbers.”

Quite the opposite of South County school districts, PGUSD’s Measure D showed a solid lead and by 8:15pm was counted as 65.8 percent for the bond to  34.15 percent rate. PGUSD Superintendent Ralph Porras reported that he was please with the polling numbers so far and that he remains “cautiously optimistic.”

Anxiety subsided by 7:30am the following day, the lead held and effectively passed with 66.6 percent of voters for the bond, and 33.4 percent against. “These improvements will directly contribute to the continued success of our students, their families, the staff and the community at large,” he says. 

Stateside Prop. 13 was not doing well. In between the first and second count, Debra Gramespacher, a trustee for Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, was a little surprised but remained positive. “There’s a long line to get funding for school projects,” she says. “We need the funding.”

By 9:30am, however it appeared that only ten counties statewide were for Prop. 13, Monterey County among them polling closely at 49.1 percent for to a 50.9 percent against. Statewide the answers were clearer, 44.1 percent were for and 55.9 percent were against.

A definitive no to Prop. 13 means diminished power for districts to fund their facilities projects more adequately. Even in districts like PGUSD, who received the voters blessing for their bond extension wouldn’t be able to finish all items on their to-do list. “[Measure D] isn’t enough money to complete all our projects,” Porras previously told the Weekly. 

South County districts however have a less definitive answer with voter turnout ranging from just 1,185 to 1,285 voters by 9:30am. King City closed the margin with both Measures A and B just over the 55 percent line. Measure A was polling yes with 55.02 percent and Measure B was polling at 55.45 percent. But it’s still too early claim a victory as more ballots stream in.

Soledad’s Measure E to build teacher housing is in a similar position. By morning, 651 voters closed the gap by a razor’s edge, with the yes vote polling at 51.75 percent. But the no vote following closely behind with just 44 votes fewer, at 48.25 percent. With no solid 55 percent, it's too early to make a call.