Adding to the difficulties here is the fact that the student body in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District is 55 percent Hispanic. Typically, a smaller percentage of Hispanics vote than their non-Hispanic counterparts, some of whom have made it clear that they are not interested in educating Hispanic children. Another reason school bonds fail here is that opponents doubt the integrity of school administrators. A particularly sore point among opponents of the March school bond is the district's attractive administration building at 2560 Skyway Drive. Other than tearing down a few walls and building a conference room so that the school board could have meetings somewhere, and repairing the heating and air-conditioning systems because it needed it, we took the building as it is.
Some opponents also question school district's methods in getting a bond passed.
W2000 earlier this year that he filed a formal complaint with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's office. W2000 Committee advocating passage of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District bond was distributed to students by their teachers in the Orcutt Union School District. The letter was signed by the principal. Rowland complained that the letter was illegal. Rowland also had a previous run in with the Orcutt School district last year during a special election to pass a school bond called P99.