Pass: 18,749 / 75.5% Yes votes ...... 6,074 / 24.5% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

The Board of Trustees of the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District has proposed this measure which would authorize the District to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $175 million. The bonds will have an interest rate not exceeding twelve percent (12%) per year and will mature in a maximum of 40 years from the date of issuance of the bonds.

Article XIIIA, Section 1(b)(3)(B) of the California Constitution requires that the District list the specific school facilities projects to be funded from the bond revenue and certify that the Board has evaluated safety, class size reduction, and information technology needs in the development of that list. The District's "Bond Project List" for the proposed bond is attached to the full text of the measure and can be generally described as follows: renovate and upgrade school classrooms, libraries and computer labs; retrofit schools and classrooms for earthquake safety; replace existing wiring systems to meet current electrical and accessibility codes; repair leaky roofs, walls, floors, restrooms; replace existing plumbing systems; replace heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting systems with energy efficient systems; make Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant accessibility upgrades; install, replace, and upgrade safety and security systems; upgrade school site parking, utilities and grounds; and add classrooms, classroom buildings and bathrooms at existing school sites.

In accordance with state law, the measure requires the 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 15272 et seq. The District must appoint a citizens' oversight committee and conduct annual independent performance and financial audits to assure that funds are spent only on the listed school and classroom improvements and for no other purposes.

A "yes" vote on this measure would authorize the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $175 million to: renovate and upgrade school classrooms, libraries and computer labs; retrofit schools and classrooms for earthquake safety; replace existing wiring systems to meet current electrical and accessibility codes; repair leaky roofs, walls, floors, restrooms; replace existing plumbing systems; replace heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting systems with energy efficient systems; make Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant accessibility upgrades; install, replace, and upgrade safety and security systems; upgrade school site parking, utilities and grounds; and add classrooms, classroom buildings and bathrooms at existing school sites.

A "no" vote would preclude San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District from issuing the bonds.

This measure passes if 55% of those voting on the measure vote "yes."

Measure L is a NO-TAX-INCREASE bond measure that will make vital repairs and improvements + without adding to the burden on taxpayers. Current assessment levels will not increase, and in fact will decrease over time.

The San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District has a proven track record with taxpayer funds. For 15 consecutive years, independent auditors have reported that the district has shown exemplary fiscal responsibility. Public funding has been used efficiently and effectively. Past bond projects were completed on-time and on-budget.

Measure L funds will stay in our local schools and community -- not one dime can be taken by the state. In addition, our schools may qualify for matching state and local funds. Citizen oversight and annual public audits will ensure that funds are spent wisely on voter-approved projects.

Measure L will:

• Repair school buildings and leaky roofs
• Upgrade libraries, computer labs and other classroom technology
• Replace heating, cooling and ventilation systems with modern, energy-efficient equipment
• Build new classrooms to reduce overcrowding and improve learning environments
• Improve school safety and security
• NOT increase taxes

Join parents, teachers, and neighbors of all ages: vote Yes on Measure L so local students can continue to excel!

(No arguments against Measure L were submitted)

FINDINGS

The San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District (the "District"), which serves the communities of San Mateo and Foster City and portions of unincorporated San Mateo County, provides quality education to San Mateo County students.

As a result of careful oversight and innovations by the Board of Trustees (the "Board") and the Superintendent, and the cooperative efforts of teachers, staff, parents, and members of the community, the District has been able to weather tough financial times and continue to provide a quality education for its students.

As a result of the hard work by our teachers, parents, students, principals, and other staff, our students have excelled on statewide performance exams. With a district-wide Academic Performance Index (API) score of 810, San Mateo-Foster City Schools continue to support high academic achievement for all students. During this recent history, the District has benefited from a community that supports its educational institutions by providing financial and human resources.

In order to continue to enrich the quality of education and maintain the high standards of the District, it is necessary to improve elementary and middle school facilities to remain functional for our future generations. Facilities must be maintained and upgraded. The community's investment in its schools must be preserved. The Board has prepared a facilities plan that calls for maintaining and upgrading of existing facilities. These needs are more than the District is able to fund from currently available sources or annual revenues.

In particular, the District Board of Trustees finds that:

• While some schools have been modernized, others have not, and improvements are needed to ensure that all students have access to a safe, modern and up-to-date learning environment;

• Basic school repairs are required at some sites, including repairs to leaky roofs, faulty plumbing or restrooms; aging heating/cooling systems, removal of hazardous materials;

• Improvements are needed to ensure all students have similar access to up-to-date instructional tools, including computer labs, libraries and technology;

• Student safety and security is a top priority in and around school sites;

• Improvements should be energy efficient to reduce energy consumption and save money for teachers and programs;

• Classrooms must be added at some schools to keep up with growing enrollment and address overcrowding, which can create safety concerns and affect learning.

BOND AUTHORIZATION

By approval of this proposition by at least 55 percent of the registered voters voting on the proposition, the District shall be authorized to issue and sell bonds of up to $175,000,000 in principal at interest rates below the legal limit, to provide financing for the specific school facilities projects listed in the Bond Project List attached hereto as Exhibit A-1, subject to all the accountability requirements specified below.

BOND PROJECT LIST

The Bond Project List attached to this resolution as Exhibit A-1 shall be considered a part of the ballot proposition and shall be reproduced in any official document required to contain the full statement of the bond proposition.

Approval of this Bond Measure (the "Measure") does not guarantee that the proposed project or projects on the Bond Project List that are the subject of bonds under the Measure will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by the Measure. If state matching funds become available, they will be used for and applied to the Bond Project List as per Exhibit A-1. The District's proposal for the project or projects assumes the receipt of matching state funds, which could be subject to appropriation by the Legislature or approval of a statewide bond measure.

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 to address specific facilities needs of the District all 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. Over the past year, the Board of Trustees, during its Strategic Planning Process which involved staff members, parents, and community members, and during reports from staff regarding facility issues, discussed the facilities needs of the District. The Board hereby certifies that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction, enrollment growth, and information technology needs in developing the Bond Project List contained in Exhibit A-1.

Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee. The Board shall establish an Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee pursuant to Education Code Section 15278 and following to ensure bond proceeds are expended only on the school facilities projects listed in Exhibit A-1. The committee shall be established within 60 days of the date when the results of the election appear in the minutes of the Board.

Performance Audits. The Board shall conduct an annual, independent performance audit to ensure that the bond proceeds have been expended only on the school facilities projects listed in Exhibit A-1.

Financial Audits. The 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 in Exhibit A-1.

Special Bond Proceeds Account: Annual Report to Board. Upon approval of this proposition and the sale of any bonds approved, the Board shall take actions necessary to establish an account in which proceeds of the sale of bonds will be deposited. As long as any proceeds of the bonds remain unexpended, the Superintendent of the District shall cause a report to be filed with the Board annually, stating (1) the amount of bond proceeds received and expended in that year, and (2) the status of any project funded or to be funded from bond proceeds. The report may relate to the calendar year, fiscal year, or other appropriate annual period as the Superintendent shall determine and may be incorporated in the annual budget, audit, or another appropriate routine report to the Board.

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, lease or future lease repayment for real property, and construction and bond program management by district personnel. No administrator salaries, teacher salaries or other school operating expenses will be paid with bond funds. The proceeds of the bonds will be deposited into a Building Fund to be held by the San Mateo County Treasurer, as required by the California Education Code.

PROJECT LIST

Every school campus within the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District will receive Measure ___ bond funds.

The Board of Trustees of the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District intends to use bond funds to upgrade school classrooms, libraries and computer labs; repair leaky roofs, walls, floors, restrooms, plumbing, wiring including technology, heating/cooling at older schools; improve student safety and security; add classrooms at existing sites to reduce school overcrowding; address unforeseen conditions revealed by construction/modernization (e.g., plumbing or gas line breaks, dry rot, seismic, structural, etc.); and improve the overall quality of local elementary and middle schools in the cities of San Mateo and Foster City and portions of unincorporated San Mateo County including at the following sites:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Audubon Elementary School, 841 Gull Avenue, Foster City, CA

Highlands Elementary School 2320 Newport Street, San Mateo, CA

Baywood Elementary School 600 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo, CA

Horrall Elementary School 949 Ocean View Avenue, San Mateo, CA

Beresford Elementary School 300 28th Avenue, San Mateo, CA

Laurel Elementary School 316 36th Avenue, San Mateo, CA

Brewer Island Elementary School 1151 Polynesia Drive, Foster City, CA

Meadow Heights Elementary School 2619 Dolores Street, San Mateo, CA

College Park Elementary School 715 Indian Avenue, San Mateo, CA

North Shoreview Montessori School 1301 Cypress Avenue, San Mateo, CA

Fiesta Gardens International School 1001 Bermuda Drive, San Mateo, CA

San Mateo Park Elementary School 161 Clark Drive, San Mateo, CA

Foster City Elementary School 461 Beach Park Blvd, Foster City, CA

Parkside Elementary School 1685 Eisenhower Street, San Mateo, CA

George Hall Elementary School 130 San Miguel Avenue, San Mateo, CA

Sunnybrae Elementary School 1031 S. Delaware Street, San Mateo, CA

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Abbott Middle School 600 36th Avenue, San Mateo, CA

Borel Middle School 425 Barneson Avenue, San Mateo, CA

Bayside Middle School 2025 Kehoe Avenue, San Mateo, CA

Bowditch Middle School 1450 Tarpon Street, Foster City, CA

Local Elementary and Middle Schools in the cities of San Mateo and Foster City and portions of unincorporated San Mateo County will benefit from projects that include the following:

School Renovation, Repair and Upgrade Projects

Schools will benefit from the renovation, repair and upgrade of deteriorating, outdated facilities and equipment such as:

• Repair and upgrade roofs, walls, and floors.

• Replace existing wiring systems to meet current electrical and accessibility codes and increased capacity.

• Additional electrical service capacity to relieve currently overloaded electrical systems.

• Replace existing plumbing systems to meet current codes, including the elimination of lead-containing fixtures.

• Upgrade bathrooms.

• Replace older heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting systems with building code compliant, energy efficient systems.

• Install code-compliant ventilating systems in bathrooms.

• Provide enhanced computer labs.

• Upgrade and equip labs, multipurpose rooms, food service facilities, auditoriums, libraries, and other school facilities.

• Classroom interiors will receive new paint, carpet/vinyl tile/asbestos abatement, white markerboards, tackable surfaces, increase secure storage capacity for instructional materials and equipment.

• Replace existing window systems with energy efficient systems.

• Improve and/or expand library services.

• Renovate, repair, and/or upgrade existing elementary and middle schools.

• Federal and State-mandated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility upgrades including site access, parking, staff and student restrooms, relocation of some existing electrical devices, drinking fountains, playground equipment, etc.

• Repair aging schools.

Schools and school sites will benefit from health and safety projects, such as:

• Inspect for/repair "pinhole" gas pipe leaks.

• Replace/upgrade existing signage, bells and clocks.

• Install, replace/upgrade safety and security systems for our students and staff.

• Install energy efficient systems including Green building projects and sustainable building practices to promote energy-efficiency (e.g., solar, high performance lighting, electrical systems panel, etc.).

• Replace/upgrade irrigation systems.

• Federal and State-mandated Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) safety upgrades including playground equipment replacement.

• Relocate or improve student drop-off areas, including separate areas for buses.

• Improve play area fields for safety and drainage.

• Replace existing wooden doors and doorframes.

• Upgrade school site parking, utilities and grounds.

• Repair termite damage to structures and doors/doorframes.

• Retrofit schools and classrooms for earthquake safety, as required by State law.

• Abate and remove hazardous materials identified prior or during construction.

• Fire alarm systems upgraded to automatic systems, repair fire safety equipment.

• Upgrade and expand telecommunications.

• Repair, replace and/or upgrade paved surfaces, turf, and other grounds to eliminate safety hazards and improve outside instructional areas.

• Upgrade and replace classroom equipment and instructional aids.

• Upgrade and replace computers, hardware and software systems.

• Upgrade and expand wireless systems, telecommunications, internet, and network connections.

• Upgrade media, audio/visual equipment, and other technology for effective learning environments.

• Install Interactive White Boards in classrooms.

Some schools will benefit from the construction, upgrades and/or expansion of additional facilities, such as:

• Add classrooms/classroom buildings and related facilities at existing school sites.

• Additional electrical service capacity.

• Additional bathrooms.

• ADA accessibility upgrades as mandated by the Division of the State Architect (DSA).

• Multi-Purpose Room, food service facilities, bathrooms, storage, classrooms, and other related school facilities.

• Lunch shelters for outdoor activities.