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HomeEducation CodeCh. 1Art. 1§ 15100 School Bond Elections

§ 15100 School Bond Elections

Education Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 15100 School Bond Elections

This law lets a school or community‑college board hold a vote, after most local voters ask for it, to decide if the district should sell bonds to raise money for things like buying land, building schools, buying buses, fixing fire damage, and other big projects.

Key Takeaways

  • •The board can call a bond election if most qualified voters sign a petition.
  • •The bond money can be used for many things: buying land, building or fixing schools, buying buses that last at least 20 years, and more.
  • •The board can combine several of those purposes into one vote, except for refinancing old bonds.
  • •Before the election, the board must get realistic property‑value estimates from the county assessor.

Example

A group of parents in a school district wants a new elementary school. They gather signatures from more than half of the district’s voters, so the board orders a bond election. Voters approve the bond, and the money is used to buy a lot and build the new school.

Because the majority of voters asked for it, the board can put the bond question on the ballot. If the voters say yes, the district can sell bonds to get the cash needed for the new school.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 15100 School Bond Elections

(a) Except as otherwise provided by law, the governing board of any school district or community college district may, when in its judgment it is advisable, and shall, upon a petition of the majority of the qualified electors residing in the school district or community college district, order an election and submit to the electors of the school district or community college district, as applicable, the question whether the bonds of the school district or community college district shall be issued and sold for the purpose of raising money for the following purposes: (1) The purchasing of school lots. (2) The building or purchasing of school buildings. (3) The making of alterations or additions to the school building or buildings other than as may be necessary for current maintenance, operation, or repairs. (4) The repairing, restoring, or rebuilding of any school building damaged, injured, or destroyed by fire or other public calamity. (5) The supplying of school buildings and grounds with furniture, equipment, or necessary apparatus of a permanent nature. (6) The permanent improvement of the school grounds. (7) The refunding of any outstanding valid indebtedness of the school district or community college district, evidenced by bonds, or of state school building aid loans. (8) The carrying out of the projects or purposes authorized in Section 17577. (9) The purchase of schoolbuses the useful life of which is at least 20 years. (10) The demolition or razing of any school building with the intent to replace it with another school building, whether in the same location or in any other location. (b) Any one or more of the purposes enumerated in subdivision (a), except that of refunding any outstanding valid indebtedness of the school district or community college district evidenced by bonds, may, by order of the governing board of the school district or community college district, as applicable, that is entered in its minutes, be united and voted upon as one single proposition. (c) Before the governing board of a school district or the governing board of a community college district may order an election for purposes of this section, it shall obtain reasonable and informed projections of assessed property valuations that take into consideration projections of assessed property valuations made by the county assessor. (Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 129, Sec. 1. (AB 2116) Effective January 1, 2017.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

governing boardschool districtcommunity college districtbondsassessed property valuations

Related Statutes

  • § 15111 Bond Election Reporting Requirements
  • § 4005 Annual School District Meeting
  • § 4007 County Committee Membership Rules
  • § 10003 Employee Status During Secondment
  • § 15108 School District Debt Exclusion

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 15100.
View Official Source