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LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Smart Voter
Humboldt County, CA November 2, 2004 Election
Measure K
School District School Bond
Loleta Union School District

Measure K requires 55 percent (55%) YES votes to pass

368 / 67.65% Yes votes ...... 176 / 32.35% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of Nov 2 9:35pm, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (2/2)
72.5% Voter Turnout (544/778)
Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement | Full Text

Shall Loleta Union Elementary School District modernize classrooms, including improvements to lighting and heating & air conditioning systems; improvements to classrooms including replacement of windows and cabinetry, abatement of asbestos, new whiteboards; replacement of floor and wall coverings; make health and safety improvements including new restrooms for upper grade wings; upgrade kitchen facilities and improve computer network environment and student access to technology by issuing $456,000 of bonds at interest rates below the legal limit?

Impartial Analysis from Humboldt County Counsel
A YES VOTE on Measure K will authorize the Loleta Union School District to issue and sell bonds up to the maximum of $456,000, to provide financing for school facility improvements, aimed at modernizing classrooms. The bonds shall bear interest at rates below the legal limit. The specific projects identified are: improvements to lighting, heating and air conditioning systems; classroom improvements including replacement of windows and cabinetry, abatement of asbestos, new whiteboards, new floor and wall coverings; health and safety improvements, including new restrooms; upgraded kitchen facilities; and improvements to computer network environment and student access to technology. The Board of Trustees has certified that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction and information technology needs in developing the project list.

If the measure is approved and bonds are issued, the District is required by law to meet certain accountability requirements. To meet these requirements, the proceeds of the bonds will be deposited in a Building Fund and the chief fiscal officer of the District will annually file a report with the Board of Trustees, setting forth the amount of funds collected and expended, as well as the status of the improvement projects. The Board of Trustees will annually conduct an independent performance audit and an independent financial audit, until all proceeds from the sale of the bonds have been expended, to ensure that the funds are used only for the projects listed in this measure.

In addition, the Board of Trustees shall establish an independent citizens= oversight committee to insure that bond proceeds are expended only for the school facilities projects listed in the measure.

This measure will not become effective, and the bond issuance and sale will not occur, unless the measure is approved by fifty-five percent (55%) of the registered voters voting on the measure.

 
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Arguments For Measure K Arguments Against Measure K
Nine years ago, the Loleta Union School District embarked upon a facilities plan to modernization the elementary school. This plan included includes two stages, first, modernizing the main building, the middle grade wing and the Multipurpose Room/Cafeteria. The main building is 54 years old and modernization is necessary to remove asbestos and lead paint, update electrical and heating systems, insulate and replace windows, renovate the kitchen and update the classrooms.

The second stage addressed classroom space with re-locatable classrooms, re-roofing all buildings, renovate the restrooms, comply with the American Disability Act, replace the playground structures, leveling the playground and developing a parking lot to drop off/pickup students safely. The district has been able to complete all of these but the parking lot using state, federal and local monies not dedicated to classroom use.

The district now needs your assistance to complete the modernization work necessary to maintain a school that meet the needs of the community. We have exhausted all other revenue sources available to us. The district has applied for and been approved for modernization funds that will cover 60% work. We must provide the 40% match.

Loleta School District is urging you to support this bond to keep the school as one of the quality schools in Humboldt County. The school consistently maintains high-test scores and ranks in the upper 15% of the state for schools our size. We serve one of the more diverse student populations. We have address community needs by providing pre-school. after-school care, community use of the facilities and community outreach programs. We have been able to provide a quality education and environment to the community while maintaining fiscally responsible budgets.

We the undersigned urge you to support this bond issue and continue to provide a educationally safe environment for your children.

s/ Tammy Stephens, President, Board of Trustees
s/ Deborah East, Member, Board of Trustees
s/ Jill Ceffalo, President, Loleta Elementary PTO
s/ Brenda Bowie, Parent
s/ Phyllis Davy, Community Member

NO ARGUMENT AGAINST MEASURE K WAS SUBMITTED.

Tax Rate Statement from Superintendent, Loleta Union Elementary School District
An election will be held in the Loleta Union Elementary School District (the "District") on November 2, 2004, to authorize the sale of up to $456,000 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 one series. 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 3.00
cents per $100 ($30.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2005-06.

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
3.00 cents per $100 ($30.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2005-06.

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 3.00 cents per $100 ($30.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation.
The tax rate is expected to remain the same in each year that the bonds are outstanding.

Voters should note that the estimated tax rates are based on the ASSESSED VALUE of taxable- property on the County's official tax rolls, not on the property's market value. Property owners should consult their own property tax bills to determine their property's assessed value and any applicable tax exemptions.

Attention of all voters is directed to the fact that the foregoing information is based upon the District's projections and estimates only, which are not binding upon the District. 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 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, including the legal limitations on bonds approved by a 55% vote. 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 County Assessor in the annual assessment and the equalization process.

Dated: April 9, 2004

s/ James Malloy Superintendent Loleta Union Elementary School District

Full Text of Measure K
Shall Loleta Union Elementary School District modernize classrooms, including improvements to lighting and heating & air conditioning systems; improvements to classrooms including replacement of windows and cabinetry, abatement of asbestos, new whiteboards; replacement of floor and wall coverings; make health and safety improvements including new restrooms for upper grade wings; upgrade kitchen facilities and improve computer network environment and student access to technology by issuing $456,000 of bonds at interest rates below the legal limit?

As required by the California Constitution, the proceeds from the sale of the bonds will be used only for the provision of school facilities by construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, or the 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. The proceeds of the bonds will be deposited to a Building Fund and the chief fiscal officer of the District will annually file a report with the Board of Trustees, which report shall contain information regarding the amount of funds collected and expended, as well as the status of the projects listed in the ballot measure.

The District's Board of Trustees has certified that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction and information technology needs in developing the foregoing list.

The District's Board of Trustees will conduct an annual, independent performance audit to ensure that the funds have been expended only on the project list set forth above.

The District's Board of Trustees will conduct an annual, independent financial audit of the proceeds from the sale of the Bonds until all of those proceeds have been expended for the school facilities projects.

Pursuant to Section 15772 of the Education Code, the District's Board of Trustees will appoint a citizens' oversight committee and conduct annual independent audits to assure that funds are spent only on school and classroom improvements and for no other purposes.

As required by Section 53410 of the Government Code the following accountability measures are hereby made a part of the District's Bond Measure (the "Measure"):

(a) The specific purpose of the bonds is to improve the quality of education by constructing and modernizing school facilities.

(b) The proceeds from the sale of the District's bonds will be used only for the purposes specified in the Measure, and not for any other purpose;

(c) The proceeds of the Bonds will be deposited into a Building Fund to be held by the Humboldt County Treasurer, as required by the California Education Code; and

(d) The chief fiscal officer of the District shall file an annual report with the Board of Trustees of the District, which report shall contain pertinent information regarding the amount of funds collected and expended, as well as the status of the projects listed in the Measure.


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Created: December 15, 2004 13:29 PST
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