Local school districts are asking voters to approve 14 bond measures for upgrades.

There are 24 school districts within Monterey County, and 12 of them are asking voters to approve 14 different bonds in the Nov. 5 election.

While 14 may seem high, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh isn’t surprised. He notes that beyond MPUSD – which is asking voters to approve Measure A for $340 million – districts have aging infrastructure. “We are now training kids for 21st-century challenges with facilities that were built in the 1900s,” he says.

That is not exclusive to classrooms and technology; for example, the Monterey High School pool was built in the 1920s. “Unfortunately in California, there isn’t a dedicated funding stream for school facilities,” Diffenbaugh notes.

In February, attorneys representing several groups including Building Healthy Communities  – Monterey County, wrote to Gov. Gavin Newsom demanding changes to how school are funded, seeking greater equity. “We have been extremely disappointed by the state’s response to what is a very straightforward case of educational inequality. Given the lack of progress, we are actively considering next steps, which may include litigation,” counsel write by email.

The local school bond measures are concurrent with Proposition 2, a statewide measure that, if approved, would provide $10 billion for school facilities; $8.5 billion would be for K-12.

Diffenbaugh notes that might look like double dipping, but that if approved, larger school districts get the biggest pieces of the pie. “It’s not a system that benefits smaller districts,” he says. If approved, qualifying districts can apply for matching funds. MPUSD recently spent $9 million from Measure I, approved by voters in 2018, to renovate Crumpton Elementary in Marina; it’s on the district’s list to seek matching funds if Prop. 2 passes.

MPUSD’s measure also calls for building staff housing, which administrators hope improves employee retention. On average, the district loses about 100 teachers every year.

Salinas Union High School District voters will decide on Measure G, a $115 million measure. This comes four years after voters approved Measure W, which SUHSD used in part to develop 50 units of employee housing that opened in 2023.

Pacific Grove Unified is asking voters to approve Measure B for $78 million to renovate and expand facilities.

All of the 14 measures require 55-percent voter approval to pass.