School districts in Pajaro Valley, Live Oak, Soquel, Bonny Doon and Scotts Valley are asking voters to approve $525 million in school bonds. The districts cite degraded plumbing, electrical issues and leaky roofs as some of the problems in outdated buildings.
Some districts are also trying to keep teachers in the most unaffordable housing market in the country by building affordable housing for them.
PVUSD is asking its voters to vote ‘Yes’ on Measure M, which, if approved, would be the largest bond, coming in at $315 million. Measure M would not only fund repairs, but also renovate classrooms for robotics, coding and engineering education. The bond would raise $18.3 million annually for the county’s largest school district with 17,000 students.
The high number of bonds on the ballot and their high price tags are not unheard of, according to Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah. But it is a reflection of the accumulated needs districts are addressing.
“I do think that—and you know, this is from my experience—having five bonds at the same time is, you know, it’s not totally unusual, but it’s kind of on the higher side of the number of bonds that occur,” Sabbah said.
“But I just think that it is as a result of each of those districts evaluating that they currently need the bonds at this time, either to address needing new facilities, or possibly building workforce housing or addressing their deferred maintenance needs.”
Live Oak School District is also addressing the need for workforce housing. That district has placed Measure N on the ballot, which is solely directed at creating housing with a $45 million bond.
“Our hardworking and devoted teachers and staff are essential in providing a high-quality and nurturing educational environment where every Live Oak student can thrive,” reads part of the argument for the measure. “But the critical shortage of local affordable rental housing is making it challenging to attract, hire and retain experienced and committed educators and staff members.”
LOSD secured a $44 million bond after voters approved Measure H back in March, and those were set aside for repairs and upgrades to school buildings.
“When I visit schools, I see that this is a common concern from families and from teachers, educators and the administration of really needing an improvement to those facilities,” Sabbah said. “And so, this is why it’s necessary for the schools to go out for these bonds.”
For PVUSD, the last major bond measure was 2012’s Measure L, which approved a $150 million bond that has funded construction and rehabilitation projects at nearly every facility in the district. Most of the money went to build an athletic field for Pajaro Valley High School, which lacked one until its completion in 2021, 17 years after the school opened in 2004. The district spent the last of the funds repaving and repainting projects.
However, PV High is still in need of an athletic pool and a performance art center.
But why do our schools need to put their proverbial hand out during election season in the first place?
Bond Or Bust
Bonds are loans from the state government that taxpayers end up paying back with interest. But first, voters in a given district need to approve ballot measures that designate what the funds will be used for. Usually, these are used for construction or improvement facilities such as hospitals, housing and schools. Once voters pass a bond measure they are agreeing to pay back that loan with interest, usually through increased property taxes.
Measure M would raise property taxes for homeowners within the district by $60 for every $100,000 of assessed property valuation. So, if a home is valued at $1 million, the homeowner could see a $600 increase in annual property taxes.
Voters would only be responsible for the measure passed within their school district. But before districts can put a bond measure on the ballot, they need to be able to match the state’s contribution.
Unlike some states, California does not set aside money for the upkeep and maintenance of the state’s 10,000 K-12 public schools. The funds that schools do get from the state go mostly to paying teacher salaries and students’ daily needs.
Sabbah says that about 90% of the money is spent on those basics and the 10% or so left over is not enough to fund big projects.
“The money is so tight that it doesn’t allow for, you know, putting money aside, generally speaking, in most of our schools, to be able to utilize it for these construction projects,” he said.
State lawmakers are aware of the problems schools are facing and have drafted their own measure to go before voters Nov. 5.
Proposition 2, if passed, would authorize $10 billion in bonds for the repair, upgrade and construction of facilities at K-12 schools, charter schools and community colleges. The bonds would raise $500 million annually over the next 35 years to repay the bond.
“I strongly support Proposition 2, which would provide money to match local contributions for school renovation and new construction,” said California 17th District State Senator John Laird “Passage of Proposition 2 would mean that state money would be there to match these local districts if their bond efforts pass.
“Funds from the last school bond measure ran out a few years ago,” he added. “The state has been budgeting money one year at a time from its general fund for school construction. But due to the recent state budget shortfall, continuing to support school construction depends on the passage of Proposition 2.”
On the Ballot
Measure L: BDESD’s measure for $7 million in bonds to fund infrastructure repairs, improve facilities and safety.
Measure M: PVUSD’s measure for $315 million in bonds to fund the expansion of career/technical education, upgrades and repairs, help improve safety and provide workforce housing.
Measure N: LOSD’s measure for $45 million in bonds to fund the construction of workforce housing.
Measure O: SVUSD’s measure for $85 million in bonds to fund infrastructure repairs, improve facilities and safety.
Measure P: SUESD’s measure for $73 million in bonds to fund infrastructure repairs, improve facilities and safety.
