DISTRICTS LIKELY TO REVIVE BONDS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Officials at two Antelope Valley school districts that failed to pass school construction bond measures say it is highly likely that they will try again after the passage of Proposition 39.

Proposition 39, which passed 53.4 percent to 46.6 percent statewide, lowers the approval level needed for local bond measures from two-thirds majority to 55 percent.

Palmdale School District and Antelope Valley Union High School District have tried in the last four years to pass bond measures. They gained a majority of the votes but fell short of the two-thirds majority needed.

``I could almost guarantee it,'' high school trustee Darrel Brown said. ``What we actually talked about after the end of Measure E, we hoped an opportunity would come again when we could go for a bond issue.''

The high school district failed to pass the $91 million Measure E school construction bond in November 1999, garnering 63 percent of the vote. Measure E would have helped modernize local high schools and build new ones.

Palmdale School District failed twice - in 1996 and 1997 - to pass an $81 million school construction bond measure. In the 1996 election, the district got 63.7 percent of the vote, and in 1997, secured 54.5 percent of the vote.

Palmdale officials said they will be meeting with financial consultants within the next two to three weeks to discuss attempting another bond measure.

``We are going to have a meeting to discuss that. It's a good possibility,'' Deputy Superintendent Bob Rice said. ``I can't tell exactly when. We're still digesting the election but obviously this increases our chances of being able to pass a bond.''

Rice said the district needs more schools, and state school construction funds are drying up.

``It's getting to a point where we are going to have to do something. The next step is double sessions if we are not able to do something within the next few years,'' Rice said.

Brown said that Proposition 39 requires that school bond elections be held in conjunction with a major election. That means school districts cannot hold a special election in an attempt to get a lower voter turnout.

``In the past, other districts in the state would pick a day that was kind of a nondescript day to have a bond election,'' Brown said. ``They were looking for a turnout so that they can get the two-thirds approval to pass.''