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The Fullerton School District is asking voters to approve a property tax increase to fund $262 million in renovation and repair projects.

At least 55% of voters need to approve Measure N for it to pass.

Official title on the ballot: Fullerton School District, Fullerton Elementary School District Repair, Upgrade and Safe Educational Facilities Measure

The Fullerton School District serves more than 11,000 students across 20 schools. The district wants money to repair aging classrooms, labs and facilities; remove asbestos and lead pipes; and fix deteriorating roofs, plumbing, sewer, and electrical systems, among other things.

School districts rely on voters to approve statewide and local bonds to pay for repairs, renovations, and new construction. This year, Fullerton voters will decide whether to support one of each: the district's Measure N and the statewide Proposition 2. (We've got a voter guide for that one, too.)

A bond is basically a loan that a school district takes out, and which property owners in that school district pay back through property taxes.

If at least 55% of voters approve Measure N, the Fullerton School District can issue up to $262 million in bonds to finance specific school facilities projects.

The district told LAist in a survey that the top three priorities are:

"We have over 120 portables that have passed their lifespan," district spokesperson Amber Muños told LAist. "And with heatwaves, news of school tragedies, and more, funding for infrastructure through school bonds are more important than ever."

The district estimates the bond would cost property owners that live within the school district's boundaries an average of $30 per $100,000 of assessed value. There's also a possibility that the Fullerton School District could get additional state funding if Prop. 2 passes.

Districts cannot spend bond money on employee salaries and are required to commission independent audits of bond spending.

Research links higher student achievement to better quality schools -- it's easier to learn in clean, climate-controlled, well-lit classrooms.

In California, there's no dedicated stream of funding to support the upkeep of the 10,000 public K-12 schools attended by 5.9 million students. The majority of the money schools receive from the state every year supports students, staff salaries and other day-to-day expenses.

Throughout the state, 38% of K-12 students go to schools that do not meet the minimum standard to be considered clean, safe, and functional.

If the state and local measures fail, the need for funding will remain.

"Those buildings are not going to magically renovate themselves while we're waiting for a better bond," said Sara Hinkley, the California program manager at the Center for Cities + Schools at UC Berkeley.

Chamber of Commerce President Andrew W. Gregson and community advocacy group OC United Founder Jay Williams are among those who submitted an argument in favor of the bond to the O.C. Registrar.

Critics of bonds often say the cost to property owners is too high and question why school districts with declining enrollment need money for construction when they're serving fewer students.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is a frequent opponent of state and local school bonds. The nonprofit is dedicated to upholding Prop. 13, the 1978 constitutional amendment that limited changes to California property taxes.

"We think bond financing has its place, but it should be judicious because it raises property taxes at the local level," said Susan Shelley, HJTA's vice president of communications.

The Association has not taken a position on specific local bonds other than LAUSD's $9 billion Measure US (no) and on Prop. 2 (also no).

Shelley said voters weighing school bonds should carefully consider how the school spent previous bond funding and the plans for future projects.

"You should have confidence that the priorities are right," Shelley said. "And if they're not, say no and make [the district] come back to you with a better plan."

One individual, a Fullerton resident, submitted an argument in opposition to the bond to the O.C. Registrar, arguing that Fullerton residents can't afford another tax increase.

Read more:

State law lays out several accountability measures for local school district bonds, including:

While districts identify projects that could benefit from improvements, that list is not a guarantee of which projects will be funded.

There are often years of community meetings, design, and permitting between the passage of a bond and the start of construction, though minor renovation projects could be completed sooner.

Fullerton School District voters passed the $49.7 million Measure CC in 2002. An example of a project funded in part by that money is Robert C. Fisler Elementary School, which opened in 2004.

A bond is basically a loan. The bond authorized by Measure N would be paid back -- with interest -- through local property taxes.