Education
Westminster School District wants to borrow $128 million to fix its schools (Measure B): if it passes, your property tax bill gets new lines, expected through 2061
On November 3, 2026, voters who live inside the Westminster School District answer YES or NO to letting the district borrow $128 million for school repairs. If it passes, homeowners in the district pay the loan back through new lines on their property tax bill, every year, expected through 2061.
- Westminster School District wants to borrow $128 million to repair its schools (it needs 55% to pass); property owners in the district pay it back through property taxes. If it passes, owners pay $30 per $100,000 of assessed value each year, expected through 2061. Assessed value is the number on your tax bill, not what the house would sell for today; a home assessed at $500,000 pays about $150 a year.
- The district says the money goes to repairs: leaky roofs, restrooms built 70 years ago, replacing portable classrooms, security. It cannot be spent on salaries. A citizens' oversight committee and yearly independent audits are required; in the Registrar's file, no one submitted an argument against.
- Dates. Vote-by-mail ballots go out starting October 5, 2026; the regular registration deadline is October 19, 2026. Miss it and you can still register at a Vote Center through November 3, 2026. Orange County Registrar of Voters: (714) 567-7600.
What's happening
On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Measure B is on the ballot for voters who live inside the Westminster School District (WSD), as a YES/NO question. The district is asking to borrow $128 million for school repairs by selling bonds: a long-term loan, like a 30-year mortgage. Property owners in the district pay it back every year through their property tax bill. WSD runs schools through eighth grade; according to the district, its 17 schools serve Westminster, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach and Midway City, and its boundaries do not follow city limits.
Already registered? Pull up your sample ballot from the Orange County Registrar of Voters at ocvote.gov/vlt. If Measure B is on it, you live in the district.
What the ballot question says
The ballot asks whether Westminster School District may issue $128 million in bonds to repair its schools. The interest rate is listed "at legal rates," meaning within what the law allows. The ballot states a tax of $30 per $100,000 of assessed value, collected every year, raising $8,000,000 a year district-wide while the bonds are outstanding.
A YES vote authorizes the district to issue and sell up to $128 million in general obligation bonds; a NO vote is against it. According to the Impartial Analysis (the neutral summary in the Registrar's file), the measure passes with 55% of the votes cast on it.
The district's Board of Trustees put the measure on the ballot with Resolution No. 26-27-04, adopted July 30, 2026: 5 yes, 0 no, 0 absent. Five trustees signed: David M. Johnson (President), Tina Gurney (Vice President), Frances Nguyen (Clerk), Jeremy Khalaf and Khanh Nguyen. Superintendent Dr. Gunn Marie Hansen, who runs the district, signed as well.
Voters who live in the city of Westminster will also see Measure O, the city's proposed hotel tax increase from 8% to 12%, on the same ballot. Bolsa Bridge has a separate explainer: "Westminster asks voters to raise the hotel tax from 8% to 12% (Measure O): if it passes, you pay 4 cents more per dollar for a hotel or motel stay in the city."
What your house would pay
The Tax Rate Statement in the file, signed by Dr. Hansen, gives three base numbers:
- Average and highest tax rate: both $30 per $100,000 of assessed value per year, expected to be the same every year the bonds are outstanding.
- Total principal and interest if all the bonds are sold: about $276 million.
- Collected through: fiscal year 2060-61.
The Statement says these are estimates, "not binding upon the District," and not maximums. The real numbers depend on when the bonds are sold and how much assessed values rise.
Assessed value is not market value. According to the Orange County Assessor (the office that sets each home's taxable value), assessed value is usually the purchase price when a home changes hands. After that it rises at most 2% a year. So a house bought long ago has an assessed value far below what it would sell for today. Your number is on the "Total Net Taxable Value" line of your property tax bill, or at assessedvalue.ocassessor.gov.
Multiply your assessed value by $30 per $100,000; shops and industrial buildings pay the same rate. The examples below leave out the basic 1% property tax (the "Basic Levy" line) and the older bond lines (our math):
- Assessed value $250,000: about $75 a year.
- $500,000: about $150 a year, or $12.50 a month.
- $800,000: about $240 a year.
Those are first-year numbers. The $30 rate is expected to stay flat, but assessed value creeps up by as much as 2% a year (Prop 13), so the payment creeps up with it.
This is on top of what you already pay. Homeowners in the district are still paying off two older WSD bonds: voters approved $130 million in 2008 and $76 million in 2016. On the 2025-26 bill, the two together come to about $50.72 per $100,000 (Orange County Auditor-Controller tax rate book). If Measure B passes and the old rates stay the same, the WSD bond portion for a home assessed at $500,000 goes from about $254 to about $404 a year.
Renters do not get this bill, because the tax is levied on the property (per the Tax Rate Statement). But renters are voters if they are registered inside the district.
What the money is for
The Full Text of the measure includes a Project List. A few points the district makes:
- Most schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s; last year, 135 classrooms and facilities had leaky roofs.
- Restrooms were built 70 years ago.
- Replace aging portable classrooms with permanent ones.
- Security fencing, cameras, fire alarms and sprinklers.
The list is organized by type of work for all schools ("may include") and does not say which school gets how much. The district's FAQ says all 17 schools would benefit.
In a written response on October 1, 2026, the district said the Board had identified facility needs and priorities at each school site. If Measure B passes, the Board would run a bond-project prioritization process based on each site's scope and priority. The measure itself does not list a school-by-school allocation; the district said it would refine project scopes and priorities after the vote.
Controls: the money cannot pay teacher or administrator salaries or day-to-day operating costs. Under state Education Code section 15272, the district must appoint a citizens' oversight committee and run an independent audit every year. District employees and vendors may not sit on the committee.
Who is for it, who is against it, per the record
The Registrar's file prints an Argument in Favor; opponents could have filed one too. This time there is only the Argument in Favor, with five signers (titles as printed):
- Tony Lam — Former Westminster City Councilman, 50-year Homeowner, Retired Business Owner.
- Kim Bui — President, Westminster Teachers Association.
- Christine Hernandez — Parent, HBUHSD Boardmember (the area's high school district), Youth Advocate, 2026 Westminster Woman of Distinction.
- Khanh Nguyen — Retired Engineer, 25-year Homeowner, WSD Trustee.
- Kenneth Lopour, Ed.D — 18-year Educator, Principal, Warner Middle School.
The argument says the schools need critical repairs, that some do not meet safety codes, and that "No other funding currently exists." It says the measure would help the district qualify for up to $90 million in state matching funds, and it urges a YES vote. That is the supporters' case, not the Impartial Analysis.
On the other side: the file reads "No argument against this measure was submitted." The filing deadline, August 7, 2026, has passed. But Orange County's NetFile campaign-finance portal shows spending against Measure B by Reform California with Carl DeMaio - Ballot Measure Committee. Its Form 496, filed September 9, 2026, lists three expenses dated September 8 totaling $3,815, most of it for a slate mailer, a mass campaign mailing. The same committee reported spending against Measure O. A NetFile check on October 3, 2026, found no later Measure B filing by this committee.
The supporting committee, "Better Schools for WSD - Yes on B 2026," registered with the California Secretary of State on August 27, 2026. Its Form 460, filed September 21 for the period through September 19, reported $30,000 in contributions and $0 in expenditures. The five contributions were $15,000 from TELACU Construction Management, $5,000 each from Dave Bang Associates and LPA Inc., $4,000 from AALRR, and $1,000 from Office & Ergonomic Solutions. A September 25 Form 497 added $2,500 from KYA Services; a September 29 Form 497 added $10,000 from ACC Contractors and $1,000 from TYR Inc. These filings report $43,500 in contributions through October 3, 2026, by our addition.
Two figures that need context
Bolsa Bridge sent questions to Westminster School District (Business Services) on September 18, 2026. On October 1, 2026, Manuel Cardoso, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, replied in writing.
The $8 million a year figure. The ballot says $8,000,000 a year. The district says this is the average net debt service over the bonds' estimated life, from 2028 through 2061. Its model assumes 5%–6% interest, 3.5% annual assessed-value growth and four bond sales spaced two to three years apart through 2035.
The district did not describe $8 million as the projected tax collection for the first year. The calculations below therefore measure different things:
- Year one: $30 per $100,000 on the district's total 2026-27 assessed value ($14.5 billion, Orange County Auditor-Controller) — about $4.35 million, by our math.
- 34-year average: about $276 million in total principal and interest divided by 34 — about $8.1 million, by our math.
The first-year calculation uses current assessed value. The district's figure is an average net debt-service estimate across many years, using growth and bond-sale assumptions. They are not directly comparable as the same annual tax forecast.
The district says it does not anticipate issuing capital appreciation bonds for Measure B. Actual debt service would also depend on market conditions, assessed-value growth, and the timing and size of each bond sale. The response points to the May 28 bond-financing presentation and Tax Rate Statement; projected figures are not a guaranteed year-by-year schedule.
State matching money. The argument and the district's FAQ say "up to $90 million"; the FAQ adds "when it becomes available." The district's Facilities Master Plan 2026–2031 lists $47 million in "remaining State eligibility."
After November 3, 2026
You voted. Then what? The Registrar certifies the results by December 3, 2026. If the measure passes, the district sells the bonds in batches; an illustrative schedule from its advisor, Keygent Advisors, shows the first sale in February 2027. If that holds, the new tax line would appear no earlier than the 2027-28 bill (our reading; the record gives no date). If it fails, the WSD portion of your bill stays at the old bond lines only.
Pass or fail, the two older WSD bonds keep collecting for many more years. The district's Master Plan puts total repair needs at $731.69 million in 2026 dollars; $128 million is less than one-fifth of that (our math).
🔎 Check it yourself on ocvote.gov
Every number in this article is in the public record:
- Measure B file, 6 pages (English): https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/B-Westminster%20SD%20-%20LAYOUT%20(1).pdf
- Notice of Election — Westminster School District bond measure (English): https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/NOTICE%20OF%20ELECTION-%20Westminster%20School%20District%20Bond%20Measure%2011.3.2026.pdf
- Sample ballot and vote-by-mail ballot tracking (English): https://ocvote.gov/vlt/
- The district's Measure B FAQ (English): https://www.wsdk8.us/fs/resource-manager/view/c5fa6d7c-2c86-4fed-ad10-16c066c888d8
Helping a parent or grandparent read the official file in Vietnamese? The Orange County Registrar's five-page Measure B ballot layout is available at ocvote.gov (checked October 3, 2026).
Questions about voting? Call:
Orange County Registrar of Voters — main line:
(714) 567-7600
Registrar of Voters — Vietnamese-language line:
(714) 567-5191
Questions for the district about Measure B:
(714) 894-7311
information@wsdk8.us
📅 Dates to remember — November 3, 2026 election
- Since October 5, 2026: vote-by-mail ballots have been going out to every registered voter; if yours has not arrived, call (714) 567-7600. Sign the outside of the envelope (postage is prepaid).
- October 19, 2026: regular registration deadline. From October 20, 2026, Conditional Voter Registration is available at Vote Centers.
- October 24, 2026: some Vote Centers open, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. In Westminster: Miriam Warne Community Building, 14491 Beach Blvd.
- October 31, 2026: all Vote Centers open.
- Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Election Day, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.; ballot drop boxes are open around the clock until 8 p.m.
- December 3, 2026: deadline for the Registrar to certify the results.
Bolsa Bridge does not endorse candidates or take positions on ballot measures. This article summarizes public records so you can decide for yourself.
This article is for general information only and is not financial, tax, investment, or legal advice. Please consult a licensed professional before making decisions.
Translation assisted by AI and reviewed by an editor.
ballot measure → dự luật
Dự Luật B nằm trên lá phiếu ngày 3 tháng 11 năm 2026.* — Measure B is on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
general obligation bond → trái phiếu nghĩa vụ chung
Học khu xin vay $128 triệu bằng trái phiếu nghĩa vụ chung.* — The district is asking to borrow $128 million through bonds.
assessed value → giá trị tính thuế
Giá trị tính thuế không phải giá bán bây giờ.* — Assessed value is not today's sale price.
property tax bill → hóa đơn thuế nhà
Nếu đậu, hóa đơn thuế nhà có thêm dòng mới.* — If it passes, the property tax bill gets a new line.
55% threshold (more than a simple majority) → ngưỡng 55% (hơn mức quá bán)
Dự luật đậu khi có 55% số phiếu bầu, không chỉ quá bán.* — The measure passes with 55% of the votes cast, not just a simple majority.
vote-by-mail ballot → phiếu bầu-qua-thư
Ba má đã nhận phiếu bầu-qua-thư chưa?* — Have Mom and Dad received their vote-by-mail ballot yet?
Vote Center → Trung Tâm Bầu Cử
Lỡ hạn ghi danh vẫn ghi danh được tại Trung Tâm Bầu Cử.* — If you miss the deadline, you can still register at a Vote Center.
independent expenditure / slate mailer → chi độc lập / thư vận động gửi hàng loạt
Ủy ban khai chi độc lập $3.815, phần lớn cho thư vận động gửi hàng loạt.* — The committee reported $3,815 in independent expenditures, mostly for a slate mailer.
🧩 Play Cầu Chữ — the daily word game from Bolsa Bridge, built from vocabulary boxes like this one →
This article is for general information only and is not financial, tax, investment, or legal advice. Please consult a licensed professional before making decisions.
Sources & verification notes · 22 sources
- Ballot question, what a YES/NO vote means, Full Text with the Project List, Tax Rate Statement (signed by Dr. Gunn Marie Hansen), Impartial Analysis, Argument in Favor and the line "No argument against this measure was submitted." Every quoted phrase in the article is verbatim from this file. ◆ **The Argument in Favor is the supporters' case**, not a neutral analysis. https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/B-Westminster%20SD%20-%20LAYOUT%20(1).pdf
- The Registrar's Vietnamese-language measure list; as of October 3, 2026, its Measure B link opens the Registrar's full Vietnamese ballot layout, PDF `8601_1.pdf`. https://ocvote.gov/vi/elections/assigned-measure-letters-november-3-2026
- The 55% threshold, the $128 million cap, the Registrar's Vietnamese term for "bond" and the August 7, 2026, 5 p.m. deadline for arguments. Vietnamese and English versions. https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/VIE_NOTICE%20OF%20ELECTION-%20Westminster%20School%20District%20Bond%20Measure%2011.3.2026.pdf · https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/NOTICE%20OF%20ELECTION-%20Westminster%20School%20District%20Bond%20Measure%2011.3.2026.pdf
- October 5 (vote-by-mail ballots go out, E-29), October 19 (close of registration, E-15), October 20 (Conditional Voter Registration begins), October 24 and 31 (Vote Centers open), December 3 ("Registrar of Voters will certify on or before this date", E+30); "postage-paid return" envelope. https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Condensed%20Calendar%2011.3.2026_0.pdf · https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/Extended%20Calendar%20for%202026%20General.pdf
- "Until 8 p.m. on Election Day" at "any Vote Center" (Conditional Voter Registration page); the Miriam Warne Community Building address, 14491 Beach Blvd (English locations page); the Registrar's two phone numbers used in the article (Vietnamese-language line and main line — see the "Check it yourself" box) come from the Registrar's telephone directory, read September 19, 2026. https://ocvote.gov/vlt/vi.html?lang=vi · https://ocvote.gov/vlt/ · https://ocvote.gov/vi · https://ocvote.gov/vi/registration/conditional-voter-registration · https://ocvote.gov/registration/conditional-voter-registration · https://ocvote.gov/elections/vote-center-locations · https://ocvote.gov/elections/ballot-drop-box-locations · https://ocvote.gov/vi/about/telephone-numbers · https://ocvote.gov/about/telephone-numbers
- Used only to check the neutrality rule (whether anyone named in the article is a candidate this cycle); not cited in the body. https://ocvote.gov/fileadmin/user_upload/data/candlog/GEN2026/candlog.pdf
- The 5–0–0 vote (handwritten roll call and six signatures on p.6 of the signed scan; the Board Clerk's certification on p.7); the five trustees' names and titles (the scan lists Frances Nguyen as "Clerk"); Superintendent Dr. Gunn Marie Hansen's signature. https://www.wsdk8.us/fs/resource-manager/view/90529b44-c090-436a-921b-f709ade4575e · https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/Westminster_Measure_Document.pdf · https://www.wsdk8.us/aboutboard-of-education/board-of-trustees
- "All 17 Westminster School District school campuses would benefit," "commercial, industrial, and residential property owners will be subject to the same property tax levy," "up to $90 million in State matching money when it becomes available"; contact line (714) 894-7311 / information@wsdk8.us. ◆ **Published by the district that placed the measure** — presents the district's own view of the benefits. https://www.wsdk8.us/fs/resource-manager/view/c5fa6d7c-2c86-4fed-ad10-16c066c888d8 · https://www.wsdk8.us/fs/resource-manager/view/acfc2e35-5ed5-4729-99b6-9219bf60ab83 · https://www.wsdk8.us/fs/resource-manager/view/d021d1fe-2714-4bd6-abdf-630a161f24c7**
- "17 schools, encompassing the communities of Westminster, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, and Midway City" (PDF p.10 and the About page); section 2.06: "Total FMP Need (2026$) $731,690,000" and "State School Facilities Program $47,000,000 (remaining State eligibility...)". https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1785358475/wsdk8us/dhoe5apwetlz8ppqegnj/2026-2031LongRangeFacilitiesMasterPlan.pdf · https://www.wsdk8.us/about-us
- Keygent Advisors slide, p.74 — an illustrative four-series sale schedule, Series A "February 2027 $32,000,000"; the minutes (pp.1–3) list Keygent Advisors, LLC as a presenter. https://www.wsdk8.us/fs/resource-manager/view/8b1726c7-cb5e-4788-bbd1-833369991df4
- Table of bonds outstanding: Election of 2008 (Measure O) — Series 2013A matures 8/1/2052; Election of 2016 (Measure T) — Series D and E mature 8/1/2051 — the basis for "the two older WSD bonds keep collecting for many more years." Note: the district's 2008 "Measure O" is a bond, unrelated to the City of Westminster's 2026 Measure O hotel tax. https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1765992609/wsdk8us/ri3mmjhqmu92oz7egvax/2024-25WestminsterSDFinalFinancialStatements.pdf
- The eight "WESTMINSTER SD" lines for the 2008 and 2016 bonds, adding up to .05072, or $50.72 per $100,000 (our addition). https://ocauditor.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-2026-TRA-Tax-Rates-Revised3-1.pdf
- The line "WESTMINSTER SCHOOL DIST — NET VALUE 14,503,956,962" (about $14.5 billion) — the basis for our $4.35 million first-year calculation. https://ocauditor.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AT04VC71-Dist.-Values-for-Pub.-of-Assessed-Valuations-Booklet-7-27-2026.txt
- Assessed value resets to purchase price at a change of ownership, then rises at most 2% a year; the lookup tool for any parcel. https://www.ocassessor.gov/real-property-assessments/proposition-13 · https://assessedvalue.ocassessor.gov/
- "BASIC LEVY RATE 1.00000," "Tax Rate = 1% plus voter approved bonds" and the "Total Net Taxable Value" line on the sample bill. https://www.octreasurer.gov/property-tax/secured-property-taxes/secured-tax-bill-example
- Form 410 lists FPPC ID 1495557. The Form 460 for the period through September 19, 2026, reports $30,000 received and $0 spent; five contributions were $15,000 from TELACU Construction Management, $5,000 each from Dave Bang Associates and LPA Inc., $4,000 from AALRR and $1,000 from Office & Ergonomic Solutions. Two later Form 497s report $2,500 from KYA Services (received September 25), plus $10,000 from ACC Contractors and $1,000 from TYR Inc. (received September 28); $43,500 is our sum across the three filings. The forms do not list the contributors' cities. ◆ **Self-reported filings of the supporting campaign committee**. https://netfile.com/api/public/sites/api/filings/byFiler?agencyCode=COC&filerId=217431573&isArchived=false · https://netfile.com/api/public/sites/api/CampaignDocuments/download/217468389?aid=COC&name=Better_Schools_for_WSD_460&date=9_21_2026&form=FPPC_460 · https://netfile.com/api/public/sites/api/CampaignDocuments/download/217530899?aid=COC&name=Better_Schools_for_WSD_497&date=9_25_2026&form=FPPC_497 · https://netfile.com/api/public/sites/api/CampaignDocuments/download/217545209?aid=COC&name=Better_Schools_for_WSD_497&date=9_29_2026&form=FPPC_497
- Section 1 "Measure B (Orange, Westminster School District)," OPPOSE box checked; Section 2, three payments dated 9/8/2026: $750.00 ("Campaign Management, Voter Guide Creation, Ballot Measure Analysis"), $3,050.00 and $15.00 ("SLATE MAILER"); note "Cumulative to Date Total ... is $3,815.00 for Measure B." A filer-list check on October 3, 2026, found no later Measure B Form 496 from this committee after its September 10 filing. ◆ **Self-reported filing of the opposing committee**; the article uses the committee's name exactly as filed and says nothing about the individual named in it. https://netfile.com/api/public/sites/api/CampaignDocuments/download/217413054?aid=COC&name=Reform_California_496&date=9_10_2026&form=FPPC_496 · https://netfile.com/public/coc/campaign
- Amounts voters approved: $130 million (2008) and $76 million (2016). The article cites only the years and approved amounts, not vote shares. https://ballotpedia.org/Westminster_School_District_bond_proposition,_Measure_O_(November_2008) · https://ballotpedia.org/Westminster_School_District,_California,_Bond_Issue,_Measure_T_(November_2016)
- Historical reference for the Registrar's Vietnamese renderings of "Impartial Analysis," "Tax Rate Statement," "Argument in Favor" and "No argument against this measure was submitted."; compare with the 2026 Vietnamese Measure B file in source 22. https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/J%20-%20TUST%20USD%20-LAYOUT%20-%20TP,%20FT,%20TRS,%20IA,%20AF.pdf
- The Secretary of State's Vietnamese-language voter hotline, (800) 339-8163 (Vietnamese-language source). https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2024/general/vi/pdf/voter-info.pdf
- **Westminster School District, written response to Bolsa Bridge's questions and public-records request (October 1, 2026; English, provided by the newsroom)**: Manuel Cardoso, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services. The district says the $8 million figure is average estimated net debt service for 2028–2061, using the assumptions summarized in the article; if the measure passes, the Board would prioritize projects by school site. The district does not anticipate issuing capital appreciation bonds for Measure B; actual debt service depends on market conditions, assessed-value growth, and the timing and size of bond sales. The response refers to the May 28 bond-financing presentation and Tax Rate Statement; this was sent directly to the newsroom and has no public URL.
- Current official source for the ballot question, Project List, Tax Rate Statement, Impartial Analysis and Argument in Favor; the Vietnamese file uses "trái phiếu" for bonds and states the $30 per $100,000 rate, $8,000,000 annual figure and approximately $276 million in principal and interest. ◆ The Argument in Favor is the supporters' position. https://ocvote.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/8601_1.pdf