The Beverly Hills Unified School District’s $385 million construction bond measure was approved by voters on June 5, pending certification of the results later this month, according to the county clerk’s semi-official results.

Measure BH received approximately 59 percent of the vote as of Wednesday, clearing the 55 percent it needed to pass.

The auditorium at Hawthorne is included on the list of projects eligible for Measure BH funding. (photo by Luke Harold)

“I’m very pleased that the Beverly Hills residents had the foresight and good sense to pass this measure,” school board member Mel Spitz said on Wednesday. “It’s needed [and] it was well crafted.”

The school district’s Board of Education unanimously voted to put the bond on the ballot earlier this year to continue district-wide construction over the next several years.

Beverly Hills High School and El Rodeo School would receive large portions of the funding for upgrades, with improvements to the other three schools as well, according to the project list.

“Our schools are the heart and soul of Beverly Hills and have always served as a shining example of academic excellence and success,” Superintendent Michael Bregy said in a statement. “This support from our community will allow our district to continue to lead the way for generations to come.”

The project list for the high school includes a new gymnasium, athletic fields, and access control and security systems. The largest budgeted item in the project list is $85 million for the parking. School board members said during a recent meeting that Metro’s Purple Line Extension construction plans underneath the high school forced the district to abandon a less-expensive plan to add parking. One proposed plan would require the district to make alterations to its football field, adding to the cost.

At El Rodeo, the project list includes renovations to classrooms, technology labs and the library.

The new construction would also include additional earthquake and fire safety, and repairing or replacing roofs and electrical systems. Expenditures would be evaluated by an independent audit.

“Without this funding, all of these critical improvements would be in jeopardy,” Bregy said. “Measure BH contains provisions that clearly state these funds can only be used for the specific projects listed. It is important that we hold our school district completely accountable to our community so that the progress promised is exactly what we will be celebrating together in the months and years to come.”

“The district expects to have approvals by the Division of State Architect by the end of this year and so the passing of Measure BH allows for construction to occur,” school board member Isabel Hacker added via email. “As a board member, I am humbled and recognize the significant will and commitment by voters who supported Measure BH.”

Measure BH will levy 4.4 cents per $100 of assessed property value, $23.7 million annually, according to the bond language. The funding adds to Measure E, approved by Beverly Hills voters in 2008 to issue $334 million in general obligation bonds.

The measure is the school district’s second attempt to bolster its funding for district construction. In November 2016, a $260 million bond measure fell a few percentage points short of passage. Measure Y was by approximately 64 percent of Beverly Hills voters, but needed to reach a two-thirds majority because it was not approved by a supermajority of school board members. Board members Howard Goldstein, Noah Margo and Lisa Korbatov supported Measure Y. Board members Mel Spitz and Isabel Hacker voted against it.

The district will also continue to weigh its options for reconfiguring its four K-8 schools. No decisions are imminent, despite a recommendation from Bregy earlier this year to consolidate to three K-8 schools for next school year, followed by a transition to three K-5 schools and one 6-8 middle school. The board decided to keep the current configuration in 2018-19 and evaluate a broader range of options.

School board members have said new construction wouldn’t preclude any particular option for reconfiguration.