So, Modesto City Schools OK’d putting a $198M bond measure on November ballot. What now?
Even the easy part — the Modesto City Schools board voting last week to but a bond measure on the November ballot — really wasn’t easy. Years of work went into getting to that point.
Back in 2014-15, the district did an evaluation of the condition of existing facilities and identified $380 million (in 2014 dollars) of improvements needed at its high schools. Beyond that facilities assessment, staff found $105 million more in capital needs for the high schools, according to a recent presentation to the board.
And in the years since bond Measures D and E were approved by voters in 2018 to fund facilities improvements at TK-8 schools, the district has worked to show voters it is a good steward of their dollars. There’s been a string of groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings for improvements including multiple cafeteria, perimeter fencing and parking lot/student drop-off projects, as well as science labs and classrooms.
Now comes the big challenge: convincing 55% of voters in the district to support a $198 million ask to fund high-priority facilities improvements at all Modesto public high schools. What’s more, it could be on the same ballot as a city of Modesto 1 cent sales tax (the City Council is to vote on the matter Tuesday) and a state education bond measure.
But there’s an urgency to get the measure on this ballot, MCS trustees and staff say. Having it on a ballot in another year, when there’s no regular election, means the threshold for voter approval rises to 66.7%. And passing the measure means its funds would be a match to access state bond measure money for modernization-eligible projects.
The district repeatedly has made those points, as well as that priority projects would be determined with trustees’ input and — just like Measures D and E had something for all TK-8 campuses — all high school sites would receive improvements.
That’s not to say the money would be divided equally among the high schools. Needs at older campuses clearly are greater than those at the newer schools, like Gregori and Enochs.
And cost to homeowners would be an estimated $29 per $100,000 in assessed value per year. So some of those paying the most are likely to live in the attendance areas of newer schools that need the least.
How does the district sell that to residents then?
“There are some heartstrings we need to address here,” MCS board Vice President Chad Brown said during a discussion last week among Bee staff and district officials. Residents whose schools are the newest may “need to be reminded that their school was built with the last round of bonds and that the rest of the community supported that measure and provided them the new schools.
“And the other part of that heartstrings pull is that our community can only advance as well as every one of our students is capable of contributing back. We’ve got to be addressing fairness and equity with what we can provide to every single student at every single campus. Our community is not based only on the neighborhood you live in . Our community is Modesto as a whole and every student has the chance to become the best possible in the very best we can provide them in an educational institution.”
At the discussion, Modesto City Schools representatives were asked if the district knows how many of its voters are renters vs. homeowners, and how renters might be affected by the measure’s passage.
Associate Superintendent Tim Zearley said the district doesn’t have a data collection that says whether students’ families rent or own.
And Brown, who works in property management, said there’s no cost to renters. “We’re under rent control for the first time ever in our our community,” he said. “Rent control is determined by the cost of living increase for a given year, and it’s capped. So landlords are not going to be able to push directly the tax increase costs ... So renters would get a real bargain out of this. They can improve schools without being personally assessed.”
The facilities needs assessment done by the district back in 2014 addressed several areas of high-priority improvement projects. Among them:
- Outdated & Damaged Facilities: Replace portables, leaky roofs, HVAC systems, upgrade cafeterias, plumbing, renovate restrooms.
- Classroom Technology & Career Technical Improvements: Update classrooms, science labs, career technical education classrooms, learning technology, performing arts theaters.
- Improved Accessibility: Americans With Disabilities Act accessibility improvements.
- Health & Safety Improvements: Fire and emergency alarms, lighting, security cameras, fencing.
- Physical Education & Athletic Facilities: Provide access for athletics and physical education at all high schools.
None of the bond money could be used to increase salaries, benefits or pensions for administrators, teachers or any other school employees, the district notes.
Next steps for Modesto City Schools include forming an independent bond oversight committee, required to ensure all funds are spent as promised, and a bond campaign committee. The latter, at least, will include community members, parents and — working on their own time — teachers and staff.
The plan is for the campaign committee to be formed by mid-July, Zearley said. “At that time, a committee name will be chosen, a committee email address established, and a chairperson selected to be the point of contact for committee questions.”
For now, anyone interested in being on the campaign committee should email publicinfo@mcs4kids.com.
A list of frequently asked questions regarding the high school bond measure is at sites.google.com/monet.k12.ca.us/mcs-hs-bond-measure.
This story was originally published June 28, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
