January 29, 1969 (12 pages)

Le Rae ee ee ; ee ono rece ibe a pa ee 4 The Nevada County Nugget Wednesday, Jonvary 29, 1969 Unification up to county voters on April 15 ballot The voters of western Nevada county will have their chance ril 15 to decide whether want to merge 12 elemenand Nevada Union strict into one uniit district, at Thursday's County School Organization Committee meeting to postpone the election tied four to four and thus failed. The situation thus reverts to a previous action ordering the election on April 15, The eight members of the committee present for Thursday evening's meeting talked for 90 minutes on unification, Lou Kennedy, who said she was for unification, asked her fellow committee members to "let the people decide." Alton Davies said "I see no big surge of acceptance," and was one of the four who voted to postpone the election until the presidential primary in 1972, The unification election held in 1965 failed in all but one school district, Cherokee, and four of the committee members felt the people have not changed their minds enough to warrant another election. John Martin and Mrs, Kennedy both said enough new people have entered the county and more parents are aware of school problems even those without ‘school-age children,. to give them another chance to vote. « Ernst Bierwagen made a motion to postpone the election until 1972, The four to four vote found Bierwagen, Davies, Bob Kerr and Barbara Sailor for postponement and Mrs. Kennedy, Martin, chairman Tyler MicoThursday evening to reaffirm that election date;,Since the motion for : failed, the election will be held. eas The April 15 election will be a. combined election to choose trustess for the present districts, and to decide on unification. Jerry Hund, principal of Pleasant Ridge and president of the school administrators' association, said his group voted unanimously. to urge the unification election this year, "Not every member is for unification," he said," but all think the people should: not ‘have to wait seven years to voice their opinions," Supt. Vernon Bond of the Grass Valley district said he favors unification and told the committee the administrators will actively support a program to inform the people of all the facts about it. Dr, Floyd Taylor of the State Dept, of Education was present and told committee members that the state. will prepare financial statements for the voters' perusal. Showing what the tax rate at each district would be in 1970-71 if unification fails and . whas it would be if the vot“E dward F ellersen, county-superintendent of. schools, said under unification the tax rate would be approximately $2.70 per-$100 assessed valuation. He arrived at that figure, he said, by adding all the tax rates ofthe present 13 districts and dividing the number by the number of taxpayers, The $2,70 may not be accurate now but that was the figure quoted four years ago, he said. Fellersen's deputy, Darrell Holt, said that Nevada county runs the gamut of education. One district spent $2,000 per child last year, and another district spent only $300, "This is not equality of education." "Cherokee has gone from an outhouse to a restroom because the district voters were infavor of unification four years ago," he added. Cherokee district received an incentive fund from the state for voting in favor of unification, the only district in the western part of the county to do so. Hund said four years ago the spector of losing local control was given by many as this reason ~ for opposing unification, "Local control in a small school district is a myth,” he said. Only a district with many students, such as the 5,000 student district the unified district will have, will carry any weight _ with the Legislature, Martin said he feels sure the Western Lake Properties has requested that "at this time" 800 acres near the Lake ofthe Pines * subdivision remain in unclassified zoning. The .Nevada County Planning Commission last weekapproved WLP's request for a use permit to locate Arvin Industries on a 60-acre portion of an 800-acre area but wanted to know the proposed usage of the remainder, The 60 acres was described as the "prime portion" and the rest as "fairly steep." Chairman Bert Livingston asked the proposed use following a stormy special planning commission meeting Monday night when some Lake of the Pines property owners _ protested allowing industry to move within Legislature -will change state laws concerning unification before 1972 but favors letting the "people decide now."' He said.he is for unification and voted for an election this. year. Mrs, Kennedy made a motion that the four who voted to posipone the election write the argument.to be printed on each ballot against unification, The four who voted against postponements are to write the argument for unification. Her motion passed unanimously. Public hearings will he held in late March to allow the public to ask questions about unification. A hearing will be held March 24 at the Hennessy School auditorium and March 27 at the Nevada City Veterans Memorial Hall, if the building is available. Bond said now that the election is assured, committees of citizens who "feel strongly": in favor of unification will be formed. Members of the adnunistrators association will gather factual information for use of the committees, Bond said, and a concerted effort will be made to keep the public fully apprised. The 13 districts to ke considered for unification as one large district are Nevada Union High School and these elementarydistricts; . $_ Camptonville, Cherokee, Chicago Park, Clear Creek, Grass Valley, Nevada City, North San Pleasant Ridge Union, Pleasant Valley, Ready Springs Union, Union Hill and Washington, less than a mile of what they claimed had been represented to them asrecreational home sites, :. David Glendenning, representing WLP, said a study is under way concerning future use, but suggested proposed zoning is a "little premature" at this time. However, he indicated industry is not being considered, He claimed it would not be “appropriate” to make a statement of proposed use now. "When do you anticipate completion of the studies?" asked Commissioner Ted Waddell. Bod Onarato, president of Western Lakes, responded that "Our major concern now is not with Lake of The Pines but with the Lake Wildwood site." He said as of now the development potential was nil on the acreage in question, “FREE. ESTIMATES THE BEST MOVE . YOU EVER MADE " 20 YEARS . y EXPERIENCE PHONE 273-2206 ‘ INSIDE YOUR SCHOOLS One Man, One Vote Test on School Bonds Y ELMER WELLS . Saihlbrsor News Service Pe Should the one-man one-vote principle prevail on eho! didate elections in California? The Alhambra City School District is considering a court test of this interesting question, and is asking other school distreits for moral. support. At issure, according to E. Maylon Drake, Alhambra superintendent, is whether California’s constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority vote for approval of school bonds is constitutional. Does it square with the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution —equal protection under the law? Drake, as do many other school officials and parents, points out there are numerous instances where the majority of the electorate has favored bond issues, only to have them fail because of the two-thirds requirement. ; According to the California Teachers Association (CTA) research department, for example, during the 1967-68 school year only 45.1 per cent of 175 bond elections passed. A big num-— ber of election failed (54.9 per cent) because of the ‘two-thirds requirement. Had the requirement for voter approval been a simple majority, as in tax elections, 161, or 92 per cent, of the borsl Proposals would have passed. Drake reports that if Alhambra decides to make the’ court test, the cost of the legal battle will not be financed by the school district, but by private outside sources, such as probond parent groups, contractors and architects, interested in getting the constitutional question — settled. Drake also reports that the Alhambra board currently is under great local political pressure to forget the whole idea. However, he says, if the board. decides to fight, the first step will be at the county level. The board will ask the Los Angeles ‘County Board of Supervisors to sell bonds recently rejected by a minority of Alhambra voters. The bonds, while favored by 66.24 per cent of the voters didn’t make it because of the 33.76 per cent minority. Of course, it’s expected that the L.A. supervisors will reject the request. The district will then seek a writ of mandamus requiring them to sell the bonds, hopefully at the appelate court level to save time. If. this fails, the next step will be the State © Supreme Court, then the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary. © Drake points out that since California is one of four states in the nation that requires the two thirds majority, and since 32 other states require a bare majority —.with the remainder . having other requirements—the issue should be cleared up. Many parents, too, especially those who have supported bonds so unsafe schools would be made safe for the pupils, wonder if ‘their children are getting equal protection under the law. . Drake notes that the one-man one-vote principle was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on the realignment of congressional districts. “I don’t see why this shouldn’t apply to school bond issues as well,” he said. land near Lake of Pines unclassified James A. Martin NATIONAL TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR IN CASE OF BREAKDOWN Tips from a Pro .

Le Rae ee ee ; ee ono rece ibe a pa ee 4 The Nevada County Nugget Wednesday, Jonvary 29, 1969 Unification up to county voters on April 15 ballot The voters of western Nevada county will have their chance ril 15 to decide whether want to merge 12 elemenand Nevada Union strict into one uniit district, at Thursday's County School Organization Committee meeting to postpone the election tied four to four and thus failed. The situation thus reverts to a previous action ordering the election on April 15, The eight members of the committee present for Thursday evening's meeting talked for 90 minutes on unification, Lou Kennedy, who said she was for unification, asked her fellow committee members to "let the people decide." Alton Davies said "I see no big surge of acceptance," and was one of the four who voted to postpone the election until the presidential primary in 1972, The unification election held in 1965 failed in all but one school district, Cherokee, and four of the committee members felt the people have not changed their minds enough to warrant another election. John Martin and Mrs, Kennedy both said enough new people have entered the county and more parents are aware of school problems even those without ‘school-age children,. to give them another chance to vote. « Ernst Bierwagen made a motion to postpone the election until 1972, The four to four vote found Bierwagen, Davies, Bob Kerr and Barbara Sailor for postponement and Mrs. Kennedy, Martin, chairman Tyler MicoThursday evening to reaffirm that election date;,Since the motion for : failed, the election will be held. eas The April 15 election will be a. combined election to choose trustess for the present districts, and to decide on unification. Jerry Hund, principal of Pleasant Ridge and president of the school administrators' association, said his group voted unanimously. to urge the unification election this year, "Not every member is for unification," he said," but all think the people should: not ‘have to wait seven years to voice their opinions," Supt. Vernon Bond of the Grass Valley district said he favors unification and told the committee the administrators will actively support a program to inform the people of all the facts about it. Dr, Floyd Taylor of the State Dept, of Education was present and told committee members that the state. will prepare financial statements for the voters' perusal. Showing what the tax rate at each district would be in 1970-71 if unification fails and . whas it would be if the vot“E dward F ellersen, county-superintendent of. schools, said under unification the tax rate would be approximately $2.70 per-$100 assessed valuation. He arrived at that figure, he said, by adding all the tax rates ofthe present 13 districts and dividing the number by the number of taxpayers, The $2,70 may not be accurate now but that was the figure quoted four years ago, he said. Fellersen's deputy, Darrell Holt, said that Nevada county runs the gamut of education. One district spent $2,000 per child last year, and another district spent only $300, "This is not equality of education." "Cherokee has gone from an outhouse to a restroom because the district voters were infavor of unification four years ago," he added. Cherokee district received an incentive fund from the state for voting in favor of unification, the only district in the western part of the county to do so. Hund said four years ago the spector of losing local control was given by many as this reason ~ for opposing unification, "Local control in a small school district is a myth,” he said. Only a district with many students, such as the 5,000 student district the unified district will have, will carry any weight _ with the Legislature, Martin said he feels sure the Western Lake Properties has requested that "at this time" 800 acres near the Lake ofthe Pines * subdivision remain in unclassified zoning. The .Nevada County Planning Commission last weekapproved WLP's request for a use permit to locate Arvin Industries on a 60-acre portion of an 800-acre area but wanted to know the proposed usage of the remainder, The 60 acres was described as the "prime portion" and the rest as "fairly steep." Chairman Bert Livingston asked the proposed use following a stormy special planning commission meeting Monday night when some Lake of the Pines property owners _ protested allowing industry to move within Legislature -will change state laws concerning unification before 1972 but favors letting the "people decide now."' He said.he is for unification and voted for an election this. year. Mrs, Kennedy made a motion that the four who voted to posipone the election write the argument.to be printed on each ballot against unification, The four who voted against postponements are to write the argument for unification. Her motion passed unanimously. Public hearings will he held in late March to allow the public to ask questions about unification. A hearing will be held March 24 at the Hennessy School

auditorium and March 27 at the Nevada City Veterans Memorial Hall, if the building is available. Bond said now that the election is assured, committees of citizens who "feel strongly": in favor of unification will be formed. Members of the adnunistrators association will gather factual information for use of the committees, Bond said, and a concerted effort will be made to keep the public fully apprised. The 13 districts to ke considered for unification as one large district are Nevada Union High School and these elementarydistricts; . $_ Camptonville, Cherokee, Chicago Park, Clear Creek, Grass Valley, Nevada City, North San Pleasant Ridge Union, Pleasant Valley, Ready Springs Union, Union Hill and Washington, less than a mile of what they claimed had been represented to them asrecreational home sites, :. David Glendenning, representing WLP, said a study is under way concerning future use, but suggested proposed zoning is a "little premature" at this time. However, he indicated industry is not being considered, He claimed it would not be “appropriate” to make a statement of proposed use now. "When do you anticipate completion of the studies?" asked Commissioner Ted Waddell. Bod Onarato, president of Western Lakes, responded that "Our major concern now is not with Lake of The Pines but with the Lake Wildwood site." He said as of now the development potential was nil on the acreage in question, “FREE. ESTIMATES THE BEST MOVE . YOU EVER MADE " 20 YEARS . y EXPERIENCE PHONE 273-2206 ‘ INSIDE YOUR SCHOOLS One Man, One Vote Test on School Bonds Y ELMER WELLS . Saihlbrsor News Service Pe Should the one-man one-vote principle prevail on eho! didate elections in California? The Alhambra City School District is considering a court test of this interesting question, and is asking other school distreits for moral. support. At issure, according to E. Maylon Drake, Alhambra superintendent, is whether California’s constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority vote for approval of school bonds is constitutional. Does it square with the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution —equal protection under the law? Drake, as do many other school officials and parents, points out there are numerous instances where the majority of the electorate has favored bond issues, only to have them fail because of the two-thirds requirement. ; According to the California Teachers Association (CTA) research department, for example, during the 1967-68 school year only 45.1 per cent of 175 bond elections passed. A big num-— ber of election failed (54.9 per cent) because of the ‘two-thirds requirement. Had the requirement for voter approval been a simple majority, as in tax elections, 161, or 92 per cent, of the borsl Proposals would have passed. Drake reports that if Alhambra decides to make the’ court test, the cost of the legal battle will not be financed by the school district, but by private outside sources, such as probond parent groups, contractors and architects, interested in getting the constitutional question — settled. Drake also reports that the Alhambra board currently is under great local political pressure to forget the whole idea. However, he says, if the board. decides to fight, the first step will be at the county level. The board will ask the Los Angeles ‘County Board of Supervisors to sell bonds recently rejected by a minority of Alhambra voters. The bonds, while favored by 66.24 per cent of the voters didn’t make it because of the 33.76 per cent minority. Of course, it’s expected that the L.A. supervisors will reject the request. The district will then seek a writ of mandamus requiring them to sell the bonds, hopefully at the appelate court level to save time. If. this fails, the next step will be the State © Supreme Court, then the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary. © Drake points out that since California is one of four states in the nation that requires the two thirds majority, and since 32 other states require a bare majority —.with the remainder . having other requirements—the issue should be cleared up. Many parents, too, especially those who have supported bonds so unsafe schools would be made safe for the pupils, wonder if ‘their children are getting equal protection under the law. . Drake notes that the one-man one-vote principle was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on the realignment of congressional districts. “I don’t see why this shouldn’t apply to school bond issues as well,” he said. land near Lake of Pines unclassified James A. Martin NATIONAL TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR IN CASE OF BREAKDOWN Tips from a Pro .