Four school districts are asking voters to approve a total of four bond measures and one parcel tax renewal.
School districts in California get most of their day-to-day funding from the state, but that money is usually not enough to fund major projects, such as Oxnard’s new Del Sol High School, or large modernization and maintenance efforts.
That’s where bonds come in.
Four bond measures from three school districts — Oxnard Union, Briggs Elementary in Santa Paula and Santa Paula Unified — will be on local ballots this Nov. 5. If approved, the measures would authorize the districts to take out millions of dollars in bonds, large loans similar to a home mortgage that would be repaid through new property taxes.
The specific numbers included in each bond proposal — tax rate, total bond amount and more — are based on estimates and could change depending on financial markets. Districts are allowed to borrow less than the maximum bond total and are not required to complete every project the bond is proposed to cover. Bond funds are legally required to be spent only on schools, not on salaries.
A fourth district, Ventura Unified, is asking voters to renew an annual parcel tax that it uses to fund some programs and salaries.
The Ventura County Clerk-Recorder publishes voter information guides, including the full text of each measure along with analysis from county attorneys and statements from opposition and support groups.
Here’s what to know about each measure up for a vote on Nov. 5.
Measure G — Briggs Elementary School District bond
- Bond total: $4.9 million
- Rate: $30 for every $100,000 in assessed value
- Approximate timeline: Through 2055-56
Briggs Elementary School District in Santa Paula is looking to raise $4.9 million primarily for a series of maintenance and upgrade projects. Measure G requires approval from 55% of voters.
Proponents, including parents and Briggs’ school board president, argued in a supporting statement that the 479-student district’s two campuses are aging and don’t meet 21st century standards. Briggs School is more than 95 years old.
“Briggs and Olivelands Elementary schools are our most important community assets and should be our number one priority,” the statement reads.
The new bond funds could go toward repairing leaky roofs, upgrading playgrounds, replacing old heating and air conditioning and reworking plumbing and electrical systems. Potential projects also include upgrades to campus technology.
The guide also includes an opposing statement from Don Brodt, chair of the Ventura County Taxpayers’ Association.
“Instead of taking care of problems when they occur, the District has ‘saved up’ problems. Now, we need to do thiswork at significantly added costs due to the passage of time and inflation,” Brodt wrote.
He authored statements opposing all five school ballot measures. The supporting statements for all five school tax measures include some similar arguments and language.
Measure E — Oxnard Union High School District bond
- Bond total: $285 million
- Average annual tax rate: $17.84 for every $100,000 in assessed value
- Approximate timeline: Through 2056-57
The county’s largest district needs 55% approval to pass this bond measure, which could help fund a broad range of projects across any or all of the district’s 13 schools or its other facilities.
Among the proposed projects listed on the 17,338-student district’s online information page are upgrades to plumbing, electrical and security infrastructure and improvements to campus sports, arts and career technical education facilities. The district could use some of the money to complete the Del Sol High School build with playfields and athletic facilities.
The full text of the measure includes some other potential uses for the bond money, notably, the development of district land for “possible future workforce housing.” Other districts, including Ojai Unified and Ventura Unified, have discussed workforce housing as part of a statewide push.
The voter information guide includes a supporting statement from local officials, including Camarillo Councilmember Susan Santangelo, Oxnard Mayor John C. Zaragoza and Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez, who argue that the district’s aging campuses — average age 40 years old — are due for a 21st century upgrade.
“Our high schools are some of the most important assets in our community and should be a top priority,” the statement reads.
As he did in opposition to Briggs, Brodt argued that Oxnard Union’s bond proposal comes with too few specifics and that the district should have prioritized facilities maintenance over the years.
Oxnard Union projected on its information page that the new bond won’t increase tax rates for current property owners because it would replace a pair of bonds that expire in 2027 and 2040, respectively.
Measures M and N – Santa Paula Unified School District
- Measure M bond total: $28.4 million
- Measure M rate: $34 for every $100,000 in assessed value
- Measure M approximate timeline: Through 2049-50
- Measure N bond total: $36 million
- Measure N rate: $24 for every $100,000 in assessed value
- Measure N approximate timeline: Through 2060-61
Santa Paula Unified, home to 4,808 students, is seeking approval for two bond measures, both requiring 55% approval.
Measure M, a $28.4 million bond, would fund maintenance and improvements at Isbell Middle School and the district’s six elementary campuses. Potential projects include renovations of existing classrooms, labs, libraries and drinking fountains as well as accessibility improvements for people with disabilities.
Measure N, a $36 million bond, would be directed in part toward repair work at Santa Paula High School. Most notably, the district could use the funds for a new swimming pool, performing arts center and the rebuilding of the historic Bryden gym, which burned down two years ago.
District staff submitted statements supporting both measures. Measure M, they wrote, would provide students with “improved learning environments and essential resources.” Measure N would fund maintenance and resurrect Bryden Gym, “a local hub, a symbol of our shared history.”
In an opposing statement, Brodt pointed at the district’s attempts to pass similar bond measures in the March 5 primary. The middle school and elementary school version of that bond, Measure A, was twice as large. Both of those fell a couple hundred votes short of the 55% required threshold.
Measure H – Ventura Unified School District Parcel Tax Renewal
- Total: $2.5 million annually
- Rate: $59 per parcel
- Timeline: Eight years
Ventura Unified is asking voters to approve an eight-year renewal of an annual $59 tax on each parcel of nonexempt property within district boundaries, a total of $2.5 million annually. The measure requires two-thirds approval from voters.
The district has had the parcel tax in place since 2012 and plans to use the tax revenue to supplement academic programs, arts and music instruction and electives. The revenue would be held in a separate account from the district’s general fund.
Local officials, including Ventura County Supervisor Matt LaVere and Ventura Deputy Mayor Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios, signed a statement supporting the measure, arguing that it will provide a “stable source of local funds to offset the uncertainty of state funding.”Brodt argued in a statement that the parcel tax, which unlike the bond money can be used on teacher salaries, is the “wrong way” to finance those salaries. Those, he wrote, “should come from the general fund.”
Isaiah Murtaugh covers education for the Ventura County Star in partnership with Report for America. Reach him at isaiah.murtaugh@vcstar.com or 805-437-0236 and follow him on Twitter @isaiahmurtaugh and @vcsschools. You can support this work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America.