The Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) published a 10-year review on November 10, 2026: Measure E, the school facilities bond that Irvine voters approved in June 2016, has a maximum issuance of $319 million, and over the past decade the district has used the funds to deliver approximately 540,000 square feet of new and modernized facilities at 28 of its older schools, including 275 modernized classrooms and 61 new classrooms.
Irvine Measure E School Bond: What Happened
Measure E is the official title of the IUSD School Facilities Improvement Measure. The IUSD Board of Education placed it on the June 7, 2016 ballot, where it needed approval from 55 percent of local voters. The district website states that the measure provides a maximum bond issuance of $319 million for facilities improvements at 28 aging schools.
The district’s anniversary article explains the background. Between 2013 and 2022, IUSD opened 10 new schools and established two virtual academies, bringing its total to 45 schools. The new campuses had new classrooms, labs, and equipment, which left a gap between them and the campuses built earlier; in 2016 the Board of Education made closing that gap a priority.
The district reports the following results over the decade:
| Item | Number |
|---|---|
| New and modernized facilities | Approximately 540,000 square feet |
| Modernized or upgraded classrooms | 275 |
| New classrooms | 61 |
| Innovation and design labs | 21 |
| Collaborative learning spaces | 47 |
| New or upgraded science classrooms | 36 |
| New music and performing arts facilities | 18 |
The district also improved nutrition services, playgrounds, and athletic facilities. According to the district, planning and leveraging of the funds brought Measure E projects forward by nearly a decade.
Which 28 Schools Are Covered by Irvine Measure E
The Measure E projects page lists 28 schools in three groups: 5 high schools, 5 middle schools, and 18 elementary and K-8 schools.
| Level | Schools |
|---|---|
| High schools (5) | Creekside High School, Irvine High School, Northwood High School, University High School, Woodbridge High School |
| Middle schools (5) | Lakeside, Rancho San Joaquin, Sierra Vista, South Lake, Venado |
| Elementary and K-8 (18) | Bonita Canyon, Brywood, Canyon View, College Park, Culverdale, Deerfield, Eastshore, Greentree, Meadow Park, Northwood, Oak Creek, Plaza Vista, Santiago Hills, Springbrook, Stone Creek, Turtle Rock, University Park, Westpark |
Portola High School is not on this list. Each school on the projects page has its own link showing the improvements planned for that campus, and completed projects have a separate photo page.
What Irvine Measure E Means for High School Students
The largest Measure E projects at the high school level are the Performing Arts Centers. The centers at Irvine High School and Woodbridge High School are complete, and the one at University High School is under construction. The district describes the new theaters as having 650 seats, a scene shop, dressing rooms, and a conference room, with the ability to convert to a small black box theater.
These spaces are not used only for performances. The district’s director of arts explains that the theaters also serve the theater technology pathways in Career Technical Education (CTE), where students work hands-on with lighting, sound, and stage production equipment. For students who plan to present theater, music, or stage technology experience in college applications, a professional-quality venue on campus means that rehearsals, performances, and technical roles can all take place at their own school.
Science classrooms and innovation labs were also upgraded across the schools. The district’s position is that these projects are not about beautifying campuses but about giving teachers spaces that support innovative teaching, such as sliding and folding doors that extend a class into shared areas.
Who Pays for Irvine Measure E and Who Oversees It
Measure E is levied only within a defined area. The district drew a School Facilities Improvement District (SFID) around the neighborhoods served by its older schools; only voters inside that area took part in the 2016 vote, and only property owners inside it bear the repayment. The bonds are repaid through a temporary property tax assessment based on assessed value, not market value.
Property owners in newer neighborhoods already contribute to new school construction through Community Facility District (CFD) fees and are outside the scope of Measure E. The district also states that most of the middle schools and high schools that receive graduates of the newest elementary schools are among the campuses improved.
Three rules govern oversight:
- By law, the funds can be used only for school facilities projects and cannot be spent on operating expenses such as teacher salaries.
- An independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee of community volunteers monitors expenditures.
- The district reports that planning involved more than 200 meetings with principals, teachers, staff, students, and families.
EDUBUS Recommendations on Irvine Measure E
Families comparing schools should look at facilities and academic data separately. The goal of Measure E is to bring facilities at 28 older campuses close to those at new campuses, so an earlier opening year does not necessarily mean weaker facilities. School choice should still rest mainly on courses, grades, and college outcomes; see the Irvine High School Guide for each campus and IUSD’s five high school 2026-27 School Profiles for how to read the profile documents.
Parents who want to know about their own school’s projects should go directly to the district’s school-by-school pages. The projects page lists planned work by school, and the completed projects photo page shows classrooms and venues already delivered. The University High School Performing Arts Center is still under construction, so families of current students can ask the school how performance and rehearsal space is arranged during construction.
Students interested in the arts or stage technology should learn about their school’s CTE theater technology courses early. The district explicitly connects the new theaters to these pathways, and students can confirm the specific courses offered at their school with a counselor during course selection.
Families buying a home in Irvine should check whether the property is inside the SFID. Repayment of Measure E is borne only by property owners inside the area, and the district website provides a boundary map; according to the district, owners in newer neighborhoods pay CFD fees and are not affected by this measure.
Sources
- Irvine Unified School District: Measure E at 10: A Decade of School Improvements (accessed November 11, 2026)
- Irvine Unified School District: Measure E (accessed November 11, 2026)
- Irvine Unified School District: About Measure E (accessed November 11, 2026)
- Irvine Unified School District: Measure E Projects (accessed November 11, 2026)
- Irvine Unified School District: Measure E Completed Projects (accessed November 11, 2026)
- Irvine Unified School District: Measure E FAQs (accessed November 11, 2026)
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