Bonds will raise $131 million for Modesto schools. Who will oversee how it’s spent?
In November, voters gave Modesto City Schools approval to issue a whopping $131 million in bonds for renovations and improvements to elementary and middle school campuses.
Now, the school district needs to appoint an independent citizens committee to monitor the spending of Measure D and Measure E funds. Applications will be accepted until March 8.
Measure D calls for $74 million for renovating school facilities, many of which are more than 50 years old. It passed with about 70 percent voter approval, as did Measure E, which commits $57 million in financing for science lab and classroom improvements and replacement of old portable buildings.
For the two measures combined, property owners will pay about $50 per $100,000 in assessed value, yielding an estimated $6.55 million a year. The school district can use a combination of bond money, development fees and state funding for renovation projects replacing plumbing and electrical systems, leaky roofs, undersized cafeterias, cracked pavement and poor lighting.
MCS has 22 elementary schools and four middle school campuses, and most all of them are in need of health and safety improvements. The school district wants to make traffic improvements and security upgrades in front of some campuses to improve safety for schoolchildren.
To comply with the California Education Code, the oversight committee must have at least seven members, including one member each from the business community, a parent-teacher organization, a senior organization and a taxpayers association.
MCS also needs a parent of a student and other local residents to serve on the independent committee. Committee members serve two-year terms.
MCS employees and officials are not eligible for the committee, and neither are vendors or contractors working for the school district.
The independent panel is supposed to make sure the bond funding is spent properly. It will review annual financial audits and consider efforts by the school district to maximize bond revenue through cost-saving measures.
The role of ballot-measure oversight committees has come into question with Modesto’s review panel for Measure L transportation spending. The Modesto City Council took action in September to place limits on that oversight panel after council members thought it had overstepped its responsibilities.
Eric Reimer, a former member of the Stanislaus Taxpayers Association, said he’s come to view such committees as window dressing or a selling point for getting ballot measures approved.
“Unless they are well received and respected by the school board, they will have no effect,” Reimer said of the school bond committee. “The Measure L committee waits until the end of the fiscal year and then takes a look at what expenditures have been made on road repairs. The only way for the committee to be useful is to comment on road work before it is done.”
Chad Brown, a school board member, said he hopes people with an understanding of finance and construction apply for the committee overseeing how Measure D and E funds are spent. He assured the panel will follow the state guidelines and verify the spending is in accordance with the bond measure language approved by voters.
The school district plans some initial projects this summer, such as painting, security cameras and marquees. Larger projects and budgets will be discussed at a school board workshop March 18 starting at 4:30 p.m.
Community members who live within the boundaries of the elementary school district can apply to serve on the committee. Applications are available at www.mcs4kids.com.
