League of Women Voters of California
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Measure B School Facilities Modernization Hillsborough City School District Bond - 55% Voter Approval Required 2,292 / 65.6% Yes votes ...... 1,204 / 34.4% No votes
See Also:
Index of all Measures |
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| Results as of Dec 6 2:34am, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (12/12 0/2 Absentee) |
| Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement | Full Text | ||||
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In order to enable the Hillsborough City School District to continue providing exceptional educational opportunities and modernize its deteriorating facilities, shall the District issue $66.8 million in bonds, at interest rates within legal limits, to modernize, repair, replace and equip its school facilities to meet safety and instructional needs and create additional space for student class size reduction, additional educational programs and other needs, subject to oversight by an independent citizens' committee as legally required?
This measure would authorize the Hillsborough City School District to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $66.8 million. The bonds will have an interest rate below the legal maximum. The Board of Trustees has listed the specified purposes of the bonds to modernize, replace, renovate, construct, equip and furnish all three elementary schools, the middle school and the District administrative offices. In the Bond Project List, which is part of the bond measure, the Trustees have listed specific projects for each individual school site and the administrative offices as well as projects that will be performed at every school site and at the District's offices. The Bond Project List is contained in this sample ballot. For the specific projects contained on the Bond Project List, the project includes all related and incidental costs such as architect and other professional services and incidental costs such as costs of design, engineering and construction management. The measure requires the Hillsborough City School District to take certain steps to account for the proceeds from the sale of the bonds as set forth in Article XIIIA, Section 1(b)(3) of the California Constitution and Education Code sections 15264 et seq. The District Board must appoint a citizens' oversight committee and conduct annual independent performance and financial audits to assure that funds are spent only on school and classroom improvements and for no other purposes.
A "yes" vote on this measure would authorize Hillsborough City School District to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $66.8 million to: modernize, replace, renovate, construct, equip and furnish all three elementary schools, the middle school and the District administrative offices, as set forth on the Bond Project List contained in the bond measure.
A "no" vote would prevent Hillsborough City School District from issuing bonds of up to $66.8 million. This measure passes if 55% of those voting on the measure vote "yes."
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Official Information News and Analysis San Mateo County Times General Links
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| Arguments For Measure B | Arguments Against Measure B | ||
| We in Hillsborough have a serious problem: we must begin renovating and modernizing our deteriorating school facilities, and we have only ourselves to rely on to accomplish this task.
Our schools are our most used public buildings; 50 years of wear and tear have taken the inevitable toll. With increased enrollment and smaller class sizes, every available space is being used, including converted closets. Aged plumbing and wiring must be replaced and improvements made for student safety, including shatter-proof windows and interior locks on classroom doors in case of a Columbine-type event. With 80% of the District's budget required for personnel and no help forthcoming from the State, the only way to finance this urgently needed renovation is with this bond measure, which mandates: • an absolute limit of $30 per $100,000 of assessed-not actual-valuation (please consult your County tax bill) • an absolute limit on amount of money to be raised ($66.8 million) • strict accountability! An independent community oversight committee will regularly monitor bond projects and expenditures. Hillsborough has a reputation for valuing quality education and being willing to pay for it. When changes in State funding threatened our exceptional instructional program, we invested in our schools through our schools foundation and parcel tax. We receive an excellent return on that investment - our students score at the top of standardized tests, our schools continue to receive distinguished awards, and our property values remain among the highest in the State. Let us now invest in our school buildings. The cost is not prohibitive. A property assessed at $800,000 would pay $240/year (8 x $30), or 66 cents a day. For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, we can restore our otherwise excellent schools to standards befitting our Town. Vote "Yes" on Measure B.
/s/ John F. Keller
/s/ Ruth S. Steiner
/s/ John J. Fannon
/s/ Daniel J. Furniss
/s/ Barbara Regan
Total revenues of $180,000 per classroom of 20 students are enough to hire top teachers--and buy bullet-proof doorknobs, too. No. The District is NOT required to spend 80% of its budget on personnel. The state requires only 70 teachers for an average daily student body of 1400 students (i.e. 20 students per class). The District's decision to employ 22 additional teachers (apparently putting some in closets), plus 69 non-teaching staff, is a situation of the board's own making. Limit? A tax rate estimate is not the same as a limit. If these bonds had been outstanding last year, the county treasurer would have had to assess taxes of $96 per $100,000 for interest PLUS an (estimated) $28 per $100,000 towards a fund to retire the principal in 30 years. Make your own estimate: 5% interest on $66.8 million is $3.34 million. For Hillsborough's 3700 households, that's $900 per year (on average) just to pay the interest. Add in the principal, and you're talking about a lot of coffee! We surmise the proponents are fudging their numbers by assuming that property tax valuations will be 4 times higher in 10 years, when they plan to sell the last of the bonds. Maybe... But, one way or another, the interest will be paid, and, ultimately, property owners will pay it. --unless you vote NO!
/s/ Harland Harrison
/s/ Robert W. Giedt
/s/ Christopher V.A. Schmidt
| The mind boggles.
It is hard to imagine a school district anywhere in California less needful of going into debt at this time or to the proposed degree.
Last year, Hillsborough taxpayers paid $34 million in property taxes, from which the school district received $8.1 million. Other revenues increased the district's total to $13 million.
$13 million for 1400 students amounts to almost $9,500 per student, or over $180,000 per classroom of 20 students. That's enough to pay teachers very good wages-and leave plenty for maintenance and overhead. Heck, that's enough money to remodel every classroom every year! Is that a typo? $66.8 million of debt for 30 years would require $130 million in taxes to pay off. That's $35,000 in new taxes for each of Hillsborough's 3700 households (on average). That's like asking homeowners to pay their annual property taxes over 28 times in the next 25 years! Borrowing $950,000 for each of 70 classrooms of 20 students would cost $1.9 million in taxes per classroom. One could buy 70 of the nicest houses in Burlingame for much less--including the land! That's enough money to endow 65 new chairs at Stanford University! Give us a break! This is a vote on working within a budget. Should the District act responsibly, and work within one of the most enviable budgets in California, or borrow money like last year's dot-com? We recommend saying `No' to irresponsible and unnecessary borrowing.
/s/ Linden Hsu
/s/ Christopher V.A. Schmidt
We acted in the l970s to secure local funding when drastic State cuts threatened our schools. We can now say with pride that l/4 of our school budget comes from "other revenue": our schools foundation, parcel tax, Concours. Thanks to our efforts we do not rank with California as the 33rd state in spending-per-pupil; we join the top ten. (California average: $6,837, Hillsborough: $9,728, New York: $11,089.) But these funds pay for our exceptional instructional program and small classes. There is no surplus. We urgently need Measure B to renovate our deteriorating 50-year-old schools. To claim the bond imposes an "average" tax shows a total lack of understanding of our town. Long-time residents with grown children and homes generally assessed under $400,000 would pay $120 or less annually.* Many contribute more than that to our schools foundation. Younger families with more recently purchased homes assessed at $3,000,000 or more, realize their tax of $900 is still a great deal less than private school tuition for even one child. The only way to renew our schools is for residents again to act responsibly. We are confident that Libertarians who actually live in Hillsborough will agree. Vote "YES" on "B" to repair and modernize our distinguished schools.
Former President, Hillsborough School Board
/s/ Mary D. Chigos
/s/ Brian Cunningham
/s/ Bruce H. Hasenkamp
/s/ Catherine U. Mullooly
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| Tax Rate Statement |
| Hillsborough City School District
An election will be held in the Hillsborough City School District (the "District") on November 5, 2002, to authorize the sale of up to $66,800,000 in bonds of the District to finance school facilities as described in the proposition. If the bonds are approved, the District expects to sell the bonds in series over time. Principal and interest on the bonds will be payable from the proceeds of tax levies made upon the taxable property in the District. The following information is provided in compliance with Sections 9400-9404 of the Elections Code of the State of California.
1. The best estimate of the tax which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the first series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.02998 per $100 ($29.98 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2003-04.
2. The best estimate of the tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the last series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.02987 per $100 ($29.87 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2012-13.
3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $0.02999 per $100 ($29.99 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2029-30. Voters should note that these estimated tax rates are based on the assessed value of taxable property in the District as shown on the official tax rolls of San Mateo County, not on the property's market value. In addition, taxpayers eligible for a property tax exemption, such as the homeowner's exemption, will be taxed at a lower effective tax rate than described above. Certain taxpayers may also be eligible to postpone the payment of taxes. Property owners should consult their own property tax bills and tax advisors to determine their property's assessed value and any applicable tax exemptions. The actual tax rates and the years in which they will apply may vary from those presently estimated, due to variations from these estimates in the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold and market interest rates at the time of each sale, and actual assessed valuations over the term of repayment of the bonds. The estimates are based upon the District's projections and are not binding upon the District. The dates of sale and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on need for construction funds and other factors. The actual interest rates at which the bonds will be sold will depend on the bond market at the time of each sale. Actual future assessed valuation will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the District as determined by the San Mateo County assessors in the annual assessment and the equalization process.
/s/ Lawrence A. Raffo
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| Full Text of Measure B |
| BOND AUTHORIZATION
By approval of this proposition by at least 55 percent of the registered voters voting on the proposition, the District will be authorized to issue and sell bonds of up to $66.8 million in aggregated principal at interest rates below the legal limit and to provide financing for the specific school facilities projects listed in the Bond Project List described below, subject to all the accountability requirements specified below.
ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS The provisions in this section are specifically included in this proposition in order that the voters and taxpayers in the District may be assured that their money will be spent wisely. Expenditures to address specific facilities needs of the District will be in compliance with the requirements of Article XIIIA, Section 1(b)(3), of the State Constitution and the Strict Accountability in Local School Construction Bonds Act of 2000 (codified at Education Code Sections 15264 and following.) Evaluation of Needs. The School Board has identified detailed facilities needs of the District and has determined which projects to finance from a local bond at this time. The School Board hereby certifies that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction, enrollment growth, and information technology needs in developing the Bond Project List shown below. Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee. The School Board shall establish an Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee under Education Code Section 15278 and following to ensure bond proceeds are expended only on the school facilities projects listed below. The committee will be established within 60 days of the date when the results of the election appear in the minutes of the School Board. Performance Audits. The School Board shall conduct an annual, independent performance audit to ensure that the bond proceeds have been expended only on the school facilities projects listed below. Financial Audits. The School Board shall conduct an annual, independent financial audit of the bond proceeds until all of those proceeds have been spent for the school facilities projects listed below. FURTHER SPECIFICATIONS No Administrator Salaries. Proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this proposition shall be used only for the construction, reconstruction and/or rehabilitation of school facilities including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities or acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities and not for any other purpose, including teacher and administrator salaries and other school operating expenses. BOND PROJECT LIST The Bond Project List shown below is a part of the ballot proposition and must be reproduced in any official document required to contain the full statement of the bond proposition. Projects Subject to Available Funding. The following list of projects is subject to the availability of adequate funding to the District. Scope of Projects. Bond proceeds will be expended to modernize, replace, renovate, construct, equip, furnish and otherwise improve the following facilities of the District located at all three elementary school sites, at the middle school site and at the District administrative offices. The specific school facilities projects which are described below include all related and incidental costs, including costs of design, engineering, architect and other professional services, site preparation, utilities, landscaping and other incidental costs, and construction management (including construction management by District personnel). The District may alter the scope and nature of any of the specific projects which are described below as required by conditions which arise during the course of design and construction.
ALL SCHOOL SITES
Adding or improving elevators and ramps • Repair and replace damaged floors • Improve exterior of sites by landscaping, painting, repairing and building sidewalks, walkways, blacktops, playgrounds • Expand undersized classrooms • Replace modular classrooms with permanent facilities • Expand existing rooms to improve storage and meeting areas • Enlarge, repair, replace and build restrooms • Upgrade/install heating, ventilation and air conditioning • Replace all fixtures in restrooms, labs and classrooms • Replace all underground pipes • Replace or add phone, data, bells, clock, intercom and television distribution systems • Replace or modify windows • Install computer connections and technology access in new and renovated classrooms; make technology upgrades to existing classrooms • Relocate all utilities • Add portables for temporary use during construction and/or renovation, modernization, expansion or replacement of occupied facilities • Relocate or remove portables • Construct or renovate, equip and furnish preschool facilities • Build and expand libraries • Replace irrigation and drainage systems
WILLIAM H. CROCKER MIDDLE SCHOOL
NORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SOUTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
DISTRICT OFFICE
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Created: December 6, 2002 03:15 PST
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