SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell issued the following statement today regarding the outcome of last Tuesday's vote on local school bonds.

"I am pleased that voters in 35 communities approved more than $3.6 billion in local school construction and modernization bonds. Approval of these local bonds will give districts the ability to seek matching funds from the State of California for the construction of needed new classrooms and improvement of existing school facilities."

On Tuesday, 35 out of 57 local communities approved general obligation school construction and modernization bonds that require at least a 55 percent approval rate. Of those approved, 27 received approval margins between 55 percent and 66.6 percent. O'Connell is the author of the voter-approved initiative that lowered the approval threshold to 55 percent, down from a minimum of two thirds (66.6 percent), allowing more communities to raise funds for local school construction projects.

Voters failed to approve six out of six locally proposed parcel tax increases by the required 2/3 margin, even though each proposal won more than 50 percent approval. O'Connell supports efforts to lower the threshold for increasing parcel taxes to 55 percent to allow more communities the option of raising funds to support local schools.