Columnist Says School District Not a Corporate Business, Opposes New Bond Measure

By Barbara Zivica

I was amazed to read that the Chamber of Commerce nominated the Antioch Unified School District as one of the two contenders for the title of Large Corporate Business of the Year; the other contender being Allied Waste Services who ultimately won the title.

Folks, the Antioch Unified School District (AUSD) is NOT a corporate business. Corporations, which come in two different forms – the C corporation and the S corporation, are the most complex and structured of all legal business structures. Corporations operate as a separate entity from their owners and shareholders and can make income and suffer losses. A Corporation can sue other parties when its rights have been violated and can be sued by other companies or shareholders. A school district does not hold stock or shares which investors can buy or sell.

The Antioch Unified School District does, however, have a huge portfolio of land not being used for school sites or other district use, land which if sold could used for capital projects or improvements, such as facility renovation or building new schools instead of asking voters to approve another bond measure. (Ongoing maintenance is supposed to come out of district operating funds, districts being required to dedicate 3% of their general fund budget for this purpose.)

Furthermore, AUSD is going to structure the proposed $59.5 million June ballot measure to modernize Antioch High School, whose principal is the son of Councilwoman Mary Rocha, in the same manner as the previous 2008 $61.6 million bond measure, by forming a school facilities improvement district (SFID) which is similar to a Mello Roos district, but which requires only 55% voter approval rather than two-thirds voter approval.

In addition to voting no on this bond measure, voters should “pink slip” district administrators and school board members that support this unjust parcel tax measure.


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One Comment to “Columnist Says School District Not a Corporate Business, Opposes New Bond Measure”

  1. dowhatsright says:

    Thank you for putting forth a good point of discussion for the Antioch School District Board of Education and Business/Operations Department. Valid points on the fact that AUSD is NOT a corporation.

    In terms of running a large “corporate” business, what criteria does the Chamber of Commerce use for such nominations? In fact, how is the Chamber of Commerce itself doing in stimulating business in Antioch.

    All this “fu-fu” of honor and recognition is energy that best be spent on leadership and those better solutions.

    It takes individuals with the “guts” to speak out, like Ms.Zivica and give citizens information they may not hear published anywhere.

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