An architect's rendering of Christopher High School - to open

The school district has compiled a 25 year facilities master
plan that extends to 2027 but has not implemented a funding program
for the last 15 years and Measure J, a major source of revenue,
expires in 2011. The district’s proposed remedy: putting a bond
before taxpayers on the 2008 ballot.
The school district has compiled a 25 year facilities master plan that extends to 2027 but has not implemented a funding program for the last 15 years and Measure J, a major source of revenue, expires in 2011. The district’s proposed remedy: putting a bond before taxpayers on the 2008 ballot.

The $143 million price tag for the project list through 2020 is funded in part by a nebulous source entitled “local funding.” The district is crossing its fingers that taxpayers will shoulder about $120 million worth of local funding in the form of a general obligation bond.

“Measure J has been a great giving device,” said Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Steve Brinkman during a board study session Thursday night. “The sad thing is that it’s going away in 2011.”

Measure J has funded $49.3 million worth of new projects since its inception in 1974 and the district could ask voters to approve even more. If voters extend the expiring tax by allowing for a replacement for Measure J, homeowners will pay $60 per $100,000 assessed value, a decrease from the current $71 per $100,000 assessed value. Because the more expensive bond would end the same year the new bond would begin, homeowners would actually see a decrease in property tax of about $11 per $100,000 of assessed value.

However, once Measure J expires, voters are not obligated to replace it. If they vote for the bond, they will be taking on a new tax entirely.

Trustees did not specify what projects bond funds would be earmarked for. However, at previous board meetings, trustees and district administrators expressed that top facilities projects included the second phase of Christopher High School, expanding and modernizing Rucker Elementary School, and building a new, $26 million elementary school. The district is required to include a specific project list and establish a citizens’ oversight committee under the provisions of the bond.

Voters could see this item on the ballot as early as the 2008 presidential election. The tax would take 55 percent voter approval to pass, according to district documents.

“A presidential election year is the best prospect for passing a bond,” said Brinkman, who announced last week that he would be leaving the district Feb. 4 for a job with the Pasadena Unified School District.

Because presidential election years bring out more voters, district staff believed there will be more support for the bond.

Trustees listened attentively to Brinkman’s presentation and entertained a lively discussion assessing their options.

The school district has come under fire from some parents and residents who believe that a previous bond, intended to cover the first phase of the high school, was not properly spent. Rising costs of construction and materials have caused projects to come in more costly than was estimated when the bond was floated, administrators have said.

“We so missed the mark by a mile with this plan,” trustee Denise Apuzzo said, holding up her copy of the facilities master plan. “We have such a credibility issue. We are really jumping the gun on this.”

Like Apuzzo, trustee Javier Aguirre hoped to examine more options before proposing a bond.

“We must exhaust all options,” he said. “Is a $26 million elementary school a real need?”

Superintendent Deborah Flores and trustees are mulling other ideas to address the district’s long-term facility needs before presenting voters with a bond.

The study session ran well over the allotted hour and a half time slot and the hot topic will be discussed at future board meetings. If the bond is to be on the Nov. 2008 ballot, the board will have to finalize their decision by June in order to have enough time to drum up voter support.

The district will be conducting a facility needs assessment over the next couple months and disseminating a voter survey in May to gauge voters’ reaction to the possible ballot item.

“All the steps we take from now until June will be preliminary steps before we decide to pull the trigger and go forward,” trustee Jaime Rosso said. “Right now we have to do our due diligence. We need to make sure it’s an absolute need at this time. It’s a very big issue with a big impact on the community. We’re talking about a lot of money.”

Bond info:

Median bond amount

$119,160,000

Average annual tax rate

$59.80 (per $100,000 assessed value)

Median home price, Gilroy

$639,080

Average annual tax

$382.17

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