Modesto K-8 school district approves putting $70M bond measure on November ballot
The Sylvan Union School District Board of Education voted Tuesday to put a $70 million bond measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. The last time the district passed a bond measure was 20 years ago for $40 million.
The new bond measure would levy a tax of $25 per $100,000 of assessed valuation starting in the 2027-28 fiscal year and ending with the 2058-59 fiscal year. A homeowner with a house valued at $500,000 would pay an additional $125 in property tax. The bond must receive a 55% approval from voters to pass.
Sylvan Union includes Brown, Crossroads, Freedom, Orchard, Sanders, Sherwood, Standiford, Stockard Coffee and Woodward elementary schools, Sylvan STEAM Academy, and Savage, Somerset and Ustach middle schools.
According to the board resolution, many of the district’s schools date back to the 1960s and require repairs and upgrades to meet “modern academic and safety standards.”
Among the list of projects the bond would fund include modernizing, repairing and constructing classrooms; upgrading infrastructure for technology; dealing with deteriorating roofs and pipes; constructing and improving outdoor play structures and shaded areas; improving sidewalks, blacktops and parking lots; and repairing and replacing HVAC systems.
Both Sylvan Union and Modesto City Schools have approved bond measures to appear on the November ballot. Since voters who live in the Sylvan district would also be asked to vote on the Modesto measure, some stakeholders in both districts are concerned that voters may be deterred from voting for one bond or the other.
Modesto City Schools Trustee Chad Brown said during a May board meeting that not only would he assist both districts with their bond efforts, but that each district must do what’s best for itself without guessing how voters might feel.
“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.”
The Yosemite Community College District is also considering putting a bond measure on the November ballot for Modesto Junior College. The last time YCCD passed a bond measure was in 2004 for $326 million.
