Election 2026 · School and college districts
Measure MM: Inglewood Unified $396 million school bond
Measure MM would let the Inglewood Unified School District borrow up to $396 million by selling bonds to repair, upgrade and build school facilities, paid back through a property tax on land in the district. The district estimates the tax at $60 per $100,000 of assessed value each year through 2057-58. Bond money can only go to facilities and equipment, not salaries or other operating costs.
Summary by CityHallPass, not the official text or legal advice. The official text controls: LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Interactive Sample Ballot: Measure MM (full text, County Counsel impartial analysis and tax rate statement; enter an address in the district).
At a glance
| Measure MM | |
|---|---|
| Borrowing | Up to $396 million in bonds; about $813 million to repay with interest if all are sold |
| Tax | About $60 per $100,000 of assessed value a year, 2027-28 through 2057-58 (district estimate) |
| Vote needed | 55% |
| Earlier bonds | $240 million Measure I (2020, 80.8% yes); $90 million in 2012 and $131 million in 1998, according to the teachers union |
| Who runs the district | A county-appointed administrator since the 2012 state loan; local control could return in 2027 |
| Money raised by the campaign | $42,529.64 through Sept. 28, 2026 (Yes on MM). No opposing committee |
| Latest public poll | None found |
What does a yes vote on Measure MM mean?
The district can issue up to $396 million in bonds for projects on the measure's list, such as fixing gas lines, roofs, plumbing and heating and cooling, removing asbestos, lead paint and mold, and upgrading classrooms, labs and safety systems. Property owners in the district pay a tax to repay them. A citizens' oversight committee and annual audits are required.
What does a no vote on Measure MM mean?
The district can't issue these bonds, and property owners in the district don't pay the new tax. Taxes for the district's earlier bonds, including the $240 million Measure I approved in 2020, are not affected.
What would Measure MM cost?
The district's tax rate statement estimates the average and highest tax rate at $60.00 per $100,000 of assessed value, collected from 2027-28 through 2057-58. It estimates total repayment, principal and interest, at about $813,005,302 if all bonds are sold. The ballot question estimates $26,000,000 a year. These are estimates, and actual rates depend on bond sales, interest rates and property values.
What it means for the City of LA
Almost all of the Inglewood Unified School District lies outside the City of Los Angeles, but a very small part of the City, near ZIP code 90056, is inside it. Voters there get a City ballot that also includes Measure MM and an Inglewood school board race, and property owners there would pay the bond tax: about $60 a year for each $100,000 of assessed value. Children in that area are in the Inglewood district, not LAUSD. The bond money goes only to Inglewood schools, and City voters outside the district do not vote on it.
The details
| Official title | Inglewood Unified School District Safety, Repair, Upgrade Measure |
|---|---|
| Who votes | Voters in the Inglewood Unified School District, which includes a small part of the City near ZIP code 90056 |
| Type | School facilities general obligation bond placed on the ballot by the Inglewood Unified School District governing board |
| Votes needed to pass | 55% of votes cast |
The question on your ballot
Inglewood Unified School District Safety, Repair, Upgrade Measure. To repair/upgrade classrooms/labs including science, engineering, career/skilled trades to help recruit/retain teachers; repair deteriorating gas lines; remove asbestos, lead paint, mold; provide safe drinking water; construct, repair equip sites, facilities; shall Inglewood Unified School District's measure authorizing $396,000,000 in bonds, at legal rates, levying $60 per $100,000 of assessed valuation ($26,000,000 annually) while bonds are outstanding, be adopted, requiring oversight, audits, spending disclosure, all funds for local schools?
What would change
| Today | If Measure MM passes | |
|---|---|---|
| Borrowing for schools | The district is still spending money from earlier bonds. Voters approved $240 million under Measure I in 2020 (County election results; LAist) | The district may sell up to $396 million more in general obligation bonds (impartial analysis) |
| Property tax | No tax for Measure MM | An estimated $60 per $100,000 of assessed value each year from 2027-28 through 2057-58, about $26 million a year (tax rate statement; ballot question). For a home assessed at $500,000, that is about $300 a year (our calculation) |
| Total cost | Not applicable | About $813,005,302 in principal and interest if all bonds are sold. That is about $2.05 repaid per $1 borrowed (our calculation) (tax rate statement) |
| What the money can pay for | Not applicable | Buildings, repairs and equipment only. The project list includes gas lines, roofs, plumbing and restrooms, heating and cooling, fire alarms, asbestos, lead paint and mold removal, drinking water, career and science labs, security cameras, early childhood classrooms, athletic facilities, solar power and teacher and staff housing (full text) |
| What it can’t pay for | Not applicable | Teacher and administrator salaries and other operating costs (impartial analysis) |
| Oversight | Not applicable | A citizens’ oversight committee that must include a taxpayers group, a business group and a senior citizens group, with no district employees or vendors, plus annual performance and financial audits (full text) |
The project list says many district schools were “built in the 1920s and 30s” (full text). County Counsel notes that the list does not guarantee every project will be built, and that some projects may count on state matching money that isn’t assured (impartial analysis).
The City of LA in detail
- A small part of the City is in the district. The County’s map layers show about 0.08 square miles of overlap between the Inglewood district and the City of Los Angeles (County GIS; our measurement). Addresses there, such as the 6400 and 6500 blocks of Bradley Place, Los Angeles 90056, get a ballot with the Mayor and City Attorney races, the City measures, an Inglewood school board race (Trustee Area 2) and Measure MM (County street data; ballot type 2QB22).
- Who pays in the City. Property owners in that area would pay the bond tax, because it is levied on taxable property in the district (tax rate statement).
- Where the money goes. Only to Inglewood Unified schools (full text).
- How many City voters. We did not find a count of registered voters or parcels in the City part of the district.
How it got on the ballot
- 1998, 2012 and 2020: Teachers union president John Hughes pointed to earlier bonds of $131 million in 1998, $90 million in 2012 and $240 million in 2020, LAist reported (LAist, Sept. 2, 2026). The 2020 bond, Measure I, passed with 80.80% and set an estimated rate of 6 cents per $100 of assessed value, the same as $60 per $100,000 (County election results).
- 2012: The district borrowed $29 million from the state to balance its budget and has since been run by an outside administrator appointed by the state and later the County (LAist, Aug. 19, 2026). The elected board is advisory (LAist, Sept. 29, 2026).
- July 2026: The state’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team found the district met all the standards to regain local control. If it keeps them for another year, the board could regain control in 2027 (LAist, Aug. 19, 2026).
- July 24, 2026: LAist posted the district’s resolution calling the bond election, dated July 24 (resolution, via LAist). The project list says it was approved by the Board of Education and the County Administrator (full text). We could not open the resolution to confirm a vote count.
- July 27, 2026: County Administrator James Morris signed the tax rate statement (tax rate statement).
What each side says
The County’s sample ballot lists supporters and opponents (Registrar list of measures). LAist reported that supporters submitted a written argument and that no one submitted one against (LAist, Sept. 29, 2026).
For.
- Morris: “We know firsthand that students and teachers perform better in safe, modern school facilities,” and “The fact is we need to maintain and modernize all schools across the district” (LAist, Sept. 2, 2026). He told LAist the measure came from “years of thoughtful community input and site inspections” (LAist, Sept. 29).
- The district told LAist its top priorities are emergency preparedness and safety, removing asbestos, lead paint and mold, and safe drinking water (LAist, Sept. 29).
Against or critical.
- John Hughes, president of the Inglewood Teachers Association: “They have to show accountability before asking the voters for another bond.” In an Aug. 12 email to Morris, he opposed “requesting another $396 million without first providing a full accounting of prior bond expenditures, addressing steep enrollment decline, and resolving ongoing accountability concerns.” He also said the district has no plan to raise teacher pay, which bonds can’t fund (LAist, Sept. 2, 2026).
- Board member Brandon Myers, who is running for re-election in Trustee Area 3: “I cannot support an additional tax burden on our Inglewood residents,” citing delayed projects and the district’s receivership (LAist, Sept. 2, 2026).
- The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association had not taken a position on specific local bonds, LAist reported. Its spokesperson, Susan Shelley, said voters should look at how districts spent past bond money (LAist, Sept. 29).
Checking the main claims against the records.
| Claim | Who makes it | What the records show |
|---|---|---|
| $60 per $100,000 of assessed value | Ballot question | This is the district’s estimate of both the average and the highest yearly rate. Actual rates depend on bond sales, interest rates and property values (tax rate statement). |
| Enrollment has fallen steeply | Hughes | A July 2026 state report found the district enrolls 67% fewer students than in 2003-04, and the district has closed nearly half its schools since 2012, LAist reported (LAist, Aug. 19). |
| Past bond spending hasn’t been fully accounted for | Hughes | Measure I’s ballot question promised oversight (County election results). We did not find the committee’s reports online; the district’s website blocked our requests. |
| Local money protects against state or federal cuts | Project list | The measure says no funds can be taken by the state, County or federal government (full text). County Counsel notes some projects may depend on state matching funds (impartial analysis). |
Who supports and opposes it
Supporters
- Listed on the ballot: small business owner Moody, YMCA of Metro Los Angeles, civic leader Marcie Brown, E. Medrano of the building trades, and board president Dr. Carliss McGhee (Registrar list of measures; LAist). LAist identifies Brown as vice president of the Inglewood Council of PTAs (LAist, Sept. 29).
- County Administrator James Morris (LAist, Sept. 2).
Opponents
- None listed on the ballot (Registrar list of measures).
- Inglewood Teachers Association president John Hughes and board member Brandon Myers said they do not support it (LAist, Sept. 2).
Editorial boards. None found as of Sept. 30, 2026.
Money for and against
| For Measure MM | Against Measure MM | |
|---|---|---|
| Committees | Maintain & Modernize Inglewood Schools - Yes on MM (ID 1496204) | None |
| Raised, Jan. 1 to Sept. 19, 2026 | $25,000 | $0 |
| Raised, Sept. 20 to 28 (late-contribution reports) | $17,529.64 | $0 |
| Spent through Sept. 19 | $0 | $0 |
| Independent spending | None found | None found |
Source: Yes on MM Form 460, Jan. 1-Sept. 19, 2026 and Form 497s filed Sept. 21, Sept. 28 and Sept. 29 (first, second); County campaign portal, Measure MM. The Sept. 21 report repeats the $25,000 already on the 460.
Who is giving
| Donor | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Southern California IBEW-NECA (electrical workers union and contractors) | $25,000.00 | 58.8% |
| Fonder-Salari, Inc. | $5,864.09 | 13.8% |
| Practice (Pasadena) | $5,000.00 | 11.8% |
| Yuang Tai Inc. | $3,000.00 | 7.1% |
| AFE Sports | $2,618.12 | 6.2% |
| One individual | $1,047.43 | 2.5% |
Source: Form 460 and Form 497s listed above, analyzed by CityHallPass. The six donors are four businesses, a union-contractor partnership and one individual who reports working for a business. None of the addresses in the filings is in Inglewood; they are in Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Arcadia, Signal Hill and Napa. The filings do not say whether any donor does business with the district.
Outside spending
We found no independent expenditure for or against Measure MM in the County’s campaign filings as of Sept. 30, 2026 (County campaign portal).
Independent analysis
County Counsel’s impartial analysis and the district’s tax rate statement are the official analyses (County sample ballot data). LAist’s reporting adds the district’s finances:
- The district’s spending is expected to exceed revenue by $21 million this school year, and it plans nearly $7 million in cuts in 2026-27, according to the state’s latest report on the district (LAist, Aug. 19, 2026). Bond money can’t be used to close an operating deficit (impartial analysis).
- The district serves about 6,000 students at 14 schools (LAist, Sept. 29). On the first days of the school year about 5,000 students returned, LAist reported in August (LAist, Aug. 19).
- The district still owes the state for the $29 million loan, and extra oversight continues until it is repaid (LAist, Aug. 19).
- Statewide school bond money for modernization was already fully requested by November 2024, so matching state grants are limited, LAist reported (LAist, Sept. 29).
We found no other outside analysis of Measure MM.
If it passes
- When the tax starts. The tax rate statement expects collection starting in 2027-28 (tax rate statement).
- How bonds are sold. The district would sell bonds in series as needed; timing and amounts depend on the district’s needs and the bond market (tax rate statement).
- Oversight. The board must appoint a citizens’ oversight committee and order annual audits, and bond money goes into a separate account with reports required by the Government Code (impartial analysis).
- Who decides projects. Until the district regains local control, a County-appointed administrator makes the key decisions (LAist, Sept. 29).
- Legal challenges. We found none reported.
Key moments
We found no debate or forum on Measure MM as of Sept. 30, 2026.
- Teachers union objects (Aug. 12, 2026). Hughes emailed Morris opposing the bond. The LA Local first reported it, and LAist republished the story (LAist, Sept. 2).
- First campaign money (Sept. 19, 2026). Southern California IBEW-NECA gave the Yes committee $25,000 (Form 460).
Polls
We found no public poll on Measure MM as of Sept. 30, 2026.
Read the official text
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