The campaign for Proposition 55—the Kindergarten­University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2004—has featured Peterson in television spots and brochures mailed to homes in the Bay Area. Images that depict signs warning of asbestos and a leaky roof have spurred many parents to call Peterson Principal Dr. Steve Kay, worried about the safety of their children.

But according to Kay, the advertising, in anticipation of the March 2 election, has exaggerated the problems plaguing the school. "As school people, we're all for the passage of the proposition. It'll bring $24 million in locally for our district," Kay said. "They're going to show the buildings that are falling apart, but we're hardly a site that's got a lot of construction problems."

The television commercial, which is one of four produced to air in separate California markets (Sacramento, the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego), shows a sign labeled "Danger—Contains Asbestos Fibers" and identifies the label as coming from Peterson. A voiceover simultaneously mentions "dangerous conditions in our schools" as something the bond would address if passed.

Kay said the sign is actually a 3x5 card referring to asbestos in the elbows of insulation in a locked "boiler room," a place where children never go. There is also asbestos contained within mastic glue used for floor tiles throughout the school, but Kay said that the asbestos is "encapsulated" instead of "fryable," therefore posing no harm to students.

The brochure, which was brought to Kay's attention by a Peterson teacher who had received it in the mail, mentions a leaky roof in the library. Kay quoted the brochure as saying, "The ceiling leaks so bad at Peterson Middle School in Santa Clara that the entire library has to be covered with plastic when it rains." (The Sun was unable to obtain a copy of the brochure.)

In fact, the roof covering the library, while 40 years old and scheduled for replacement if the proposition passes, is not currently leaking. There is a room across from the library, in a separate building, that's used for textbook storage. The roof above that room began leaking last fall, requiring plastic protection for the books, and Kay said the plastic remains in place just as a precaution. This also is an area where students are not allowed to go.

These advertisements surprised many parents, and Kay said that he received numerous emails and inquiries asking whether Peterson was safe for students to attend. He sent a notice home with students on Feb. 5 detailing the inaccuracies in the Proposition 55 campaign to reassure skittish parents.

Kay said that the campaign approached the Santa Clara Unified School District (of which Peterson is a part) late last year and gathered the images while on tours of Peterson and Santa Clara High School over the district's winter break. The district's director of bond projects, Larry Adams, accompanied the staffers on their tours and later told Kay that he was caught off-guard by the content of the advertisements.

Due to a school holiday, Adams was unavailable for comment.

Kam Kuwata, campaign manager for the Yes on 55 campaign, said that it was never their intention to use Peterson in a dishonest manner. "We asked to be shown things to be illustrative, and [Adams] showed our staff a location where plastic has to protect books," he said. "This was just an example in Santa Clara County of the need for massive improvements in schools throughout California. Even in schools like Peterson, there is a need."

Kuwata also added that the television commercial in question is no longer on the air.

Kay agreed that Peterson does need its fair share of improvements—the campus was originally built in 1965. The Santa Clara district benefited overall from the passage of Measure B, a $145 million bond, in 1997, but Kay said most of those funds went to improvements at elementary school sites and new buildings at the high schools. Though he understands the point of showing a suburban school needing improvements, he said that Peterson is still doing well.

"My school's tired. Its 40th birthday is next year," he said. "The classrooms are drab, and we could use a fresh coat of paint, but the curb appeal of the school is still very high."