Modesto voters may see 3 bond measures on fall ballot: 2 school districts and MJC
Modesto City Schools heard a draft resolution Monday night for a bond measure that could appear on the November ballot. While MCS’s draft resolution needs to come back for approval at the next board of education meeting in June, both Sylvan Union School District and the Yosemite Community College District are also considering putting forward bond measures on the November ballot.
The MCS bond funds would be used to upgrade high school classrooms and labs for math, science and writing instruction, update career training facilities and repair deteriorating roofs, plumbing, heating and cooling systems.
Aware of Sylvan’s efforts, trustees discussed how two school bond measures might dissuade voters from supporting one or both.
“Someone from their board was very concerned that if we have two bond measures on the ballot and then obviously the state is probably going to have a bond measure, too, that it could prohibit them from passing theirs,” Trustee Cindy Marks said during the meeting. “I still believe that our needs are great and we’ve accomplished a lot. I’m hoping that the voters would still support another bond for both of our districts.”
The new MCS bond measure would authorize the sale of up to $250 million in bonds to the district, and is “estimated to be $29 per $100,000 of assessed valuation first occurring in fiscal year 2031-32.” So a homeowner with a house valued at $500,000 would pay an additional $145 in property tax.
Trustee Chad Brown said he was assisting both Sylvan Unified and MCS with passing their bond measures and that both districts should approve a bond measure based on what’s best for the district, not how voters might respond.
He pointed out that in 2022, voters approved both Measure H for the city of Modesto and Measure L for MCS. City officials were concerned that if voters felt they could afford to support just one bond measure, they would choose Measure L, he said.
“What the voters saw was great opportunity in both spaces. I believe very strongly that Sylvan’s bonds are greatly needed at this time,” Brown said. “We need to move forward and do what’s right for Modesto City Schools and they need to go forward and do what’s right for Sylvan.”
If passed, the district’s bond measure would be its fifth since 2018. The district passed Measures D and E in 2018 for elementary schools and junior highs, Measure L in 2022 for its high school district and Measure X in 2024 for its elementary schools and junior highs.
According to district spokesperson Linda Mumma Solorio, the district plans to structure the bonds so that the current property tax rate remains the same. Because its 2002 bonds are now paid off, taxpayers might see property tax decreases of about $22 annually.
The last time Sylvan Union passed a bond measure was in November 2006, and before that, November 1987. The 2006 bond measure was for $40 million to upgrade facilities, acquire new school sites, construct new buildings and more.
In February, the district’s Board of Education trustees discussed the possibility of a bond measure for the November ballot. Specifics will be presented at a June board of education meeting.
According to the board’s presentation, since 2022, only one district has had bond measures fail: Waterford Unified School District. Its 2022 and 2024 bond measures both failed to pass.
YCCD has not officially approved a bond measure for the November ballot, though it has conducted surveys that yielded positive feedback regarding putting a bond measure on the ballot. The last bond YCCD put on the ballot was in 2004 for $326 million.
