Turlock Unified weighing chances to pass school bond measure

Turlock Unified School District trustees on Tuesday will discuss asking taxpayers to approve a bond sale in November to fix up or build more schools.

Results of a survey of 500 voters to gauge community willingness to approve the sale of bonds will be presented by district facilities planner Roger Smith. The survey taken in early March had a 4 percent margin of error.

A presentation included with the agenda showed 2 in 3 high school district voters, said they would be likely to approve up to $40 million of bonds dedicated to improving Turlock’s two high schools. More voters, 68 percent, would approve $40 million of bonds to upgrade and repair elementary schools.

General obligation bonds to build schools raise money through extra property taxes based on valuation.

The survey found voters were most interested in assuring access for disabled students, and improving science and vocational facilities. Upgrades for safety and cafeterias received a lukewarm reception. There was virtually no support for building a stadium at Pitman High School.

Second-to last on the voters’ priority list was acquiring property to build a new school, which the district has said it will need within a few years.

The district’s elementary schools are nearing capacity, with four schools holding 900-plus students, and as development picks up, planning must begin for at least one new elementary campus, Smith has said. It will take about five years to build a new school, given delays in getting state approvals.

Residential growth is expected in Turlock’s southeastern area, which will also bring developer fees to help with school building costs. Subdivisions getting ready to build in the northeast area of Turlock, however, sit within the Denair Unified School District.

The Turlock district has appealed a county committee’s decision to preserve the Denair district’s claim on the land. As it stands, developer fees to build schools will go to the Denair district. However, if the families moving in follow the pattern of neighboring subdivisions, nearly 3 of 4 of their children will attend Turlock schools.

In other business, the board will vote on the next steps to build a beef and dairy facility at the school district farm and consider a contract with SKW & Associates to design security fencing for Brown, Earl, Medeiros and Walnut elementary schools.

This story was originally published April 4, 2016 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Turlock Unified weighing chances to pass school bond measure."