Ravenswood City School District
Measure H - 55% Approval Required

Election Results

Passed

3,394 votes yes (86.7%)

521 votes no (13.3%)

100% of precincts reporting (22/22).

190,133 ballots counted.

To maintain warm, safe, and dry schools; repair aging facilities; upgrade school safety; create student-centered 21st Century classrooms; improve technology, computer and science labs; increase energy efficiency; and repair, construct, acquire, and retrofit school facilities, sites, and equipment; shall the Ravenswood City School District issue $26 million in bonds, at legal rates, requiring independent audits and a citizens' oversight committee to ensure funds are only spent on local school facilities?

What is this proposal?

Details — Official information

Impartial analysis / Proposal

The California Constitution and Education Code authorize a school district to issue bonds for specified purposes if voters first approve the issuance of the bonds at an election. Pursuant to Education Code Section 15274, this bond measure passes if 55% of those voting on it approve it.

The Board of Trustees of the Ravenswood City School District (the "District") proposes this measure, which would authorize the District to issue bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $26 million. The bonds will have an interest rate not exceeding the legal maximum and will be repaid within the time permitted by law. The District's best estimate of the annual tax rate levy to fund this bond is $30.00 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. This means that a property assessed at $700,000 would likely have an annual tax obligation of $210.00 under this measure. The District estimates that the total amount repayable during the life of the bond, including the principal and interest, is approximately $44 million.

The California Constitution requires a listing of specific school facilities projects to be funded from the bond revenue and certification that the District governing board has evaluated safety, class size reduction, and information technology needs in the development of that list. The District's list of projects covered by the bond is attached to the full text of the measure and lists three general types of projects: updating and repair of existing facilities; improvements to energy efficiency, student safety, and technology projects; and related incidental work. Projects are authorized at all District sites. Listed improvements include the repair, acquisition, upgrade, and implementation of: classrooms, labs, restrooms, roofs, structures, HVAC systems, plumbing, multi-purpose rooms, parking facilities, furniture and equipment, landscaping, classroom technology, computer labs, fire safety systems, electrical systems, and other technology equipment and infrastructure. The project list also includes efforts to address accessibility for those with disabilities and hazard removal and mitigation as well as demolition of existing facilities, use of temporary facilities, and other site preparations. The project list should be reviewed for further details.

The California Constitution and Education Code require the District to take certain steps to account for the proceeds from the bonds. Accordingly, the District will direct the funds to be deposited into a special account, appoint an independent citizens' oversight committee, conduct annual independence performance and financial audits to ensure that funds are spent only on the listed improvements and for no other purposes, and prepare annual reports listing the amount of funds collected and expended and the status of any funded project.

A "yes" vote on this measure would authorize the District to issue bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $26 million for the purposes listed in the project list.

A "no" vote would prevent the District from issuing the bonds.

This measure passes if 55% of those voting on the measure vote "yes."

Published Arguments — Arguments for and against

Arguments FOR

Vote YES on H to repair and modernize local schools in the Ravenswood City School District to ensure that all students learn in warm, safe, and dry classrooms. Measure H helps take the first step towards achieving a long-term vision for transforming Ravenswood classrooms and facilities to better prepare students for 21st century careers.

Ravenswood's local schools are all more than 50 years old and desperately need repairs. Measure H repairs aging classrooms and bathrooms; fixes leaky, deteriorated roofs; and completes many other critical repair projects.

Measure H replaces aging, inefficient heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and climate control systems saving Ravenswood City School District tens of thousands of dollars each year in utility and maintenance costs - money that can be put back into the classroom to improve academic instruction.

Vote YES on H

* fix leaking roofs, windows, and doors

* replace aging, inefficient heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and climate control systems

* modernize classrooms and science and computer labs to help strengthen science, technology, engineering, math, and language programs

* boost energy efficiency to reduce costs and put more money directly into our classrooms.

Every penny of Measure H will be used to improve local schools.

* NO funds can be taken by the State.

* All funds will be controlled locally, with citizen oversight and annual audits to ensure funds are used as promised.

* Local schools will be eligible for millions of dollars in State matching funds.

* No funds can be used to administrators' salaries, benefits, or pensions.

Measure H invests in our students' future providing them with classrooms and science and computer labs needed to succeed in high school, college, and 21st century careers.

Join parents, teachers, local businesses, and community leaders.

Vote YES on Measure H.

/s/ Ana M. Pulido, Ravenswood City School District Board of Trustees

/s/ Dr. Faye McNair-Knox, Executive Director, One East Palo Alto

/s/ Bronwyn L. Doughterty, RCSD Teacher

Arguments AGAINST

In 2000, voters in the district passed a $10,000,000 bond measure meant to "improve technology." And in 1996, a $6,000,000 bond to "improve technology."

If you wanted a personal computer for your home or business, would you take out a 30-year loan at an unknown rate to pay for it?

That would be nuts, right? Especially because most technology is going to be obsolete in 3-5 years. But, decades of debt are exactly what the proponents of Measure H would be pushing on us with this bond.

Bond interest rates can legally go as high as 12% per year.

Would you buy a house or condo without knowing what the interest rate is going to be? That would be nuts, right?

But the proponents of Measure H are asking us to accept that uncertainty, that risk.

And because bond measures are like mortgages - they have to be paid back with interest - we should ask about the real cost of this $26,000,000 bond measure.

If we assume a 3% rate, that's $780,000 per year, just in interest.

Over 30 years, that adds up to $23,400,000 in interest plus the original bond amount of $26,000,000, for a total cost of $49,400,000.

That's our hard earned money squandered on investment bankers, not technology - let alone teachers.

What makes schools great is great teachers - not fancy classrooms or access to the trendiest computer technology.

By the time this bond measure is paid off, the technology it funded will be long ago obsolete, probably rotting in some landfill dump.

Just say NO to more debt. Vote NO on Measure H.

For more information, please see our web page:

www.SVTaxpayers.org/2016-ravenswood-city-bond-measure

/s/ Mark Hinkle, President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association

Replies to Arguments FOR