SLO County school district asks voters to pass $349 million bond. Here’s what it would do
The San Luis Coastal Unified School District is asking voters in November to approve a $349 million bond measure to renovate and improve 15 school campuses, many of which were built at least four decades ago.
The bond, Measure C-22, will tack on $49 of property taxes per $100,000 of the assessed value of residents’ homes. In other words, for a $1 million home, owners would owe an additional $490 on their property taxes.
To win approval, the $349 million measure needs a ‘yes’ from least 55% of the voters within the school district’s boundaries.
“We have elementary and middle schools that are aging and are in need of help,” said Eric Prater, San Luis Coastal’s superintendent. “We have to forge a partnership with our community in order to keep our schools up to standard, and we do that by way of passing school bonds.”
The school district has a small percentage of its general fund budget set aside for deferred maintenance, but Prater said that is not nearly enough to cover the scale of the work planned should Measure C pass.
In 2014, voters passed Measure D, a $177 million bond measure that has gone toward renovations primarily at San Luis Coastal’s two high schools in San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay.
On top of those bond funds, Prater said the district has been able to secure addition money from the state to bolster the budget for improvements at those schools. It has also been able to decrease the original property tax rates on residents from $49 per $100,000 to what it’s at currently: $35 per $100,000 assessed value, according to the San Luis Obispo County Tax Collector’s Office.
The Measure D tax rate is expected to be collected through August of 2042, according to the county Tax Collector’s Office.
The Measure C tax rate, should voters approve it, is expected to be collected through 2059, according to the bond’s tax rate statement available from the county Clerk-Recorder’s Office.
Generally, Measure C bond money would go to replacing leaky roofs, modernizing old classrooms, constructing new classrooms to replace temporary portable classrooms, renovating outdated plumbing, sewer and irrigation systems, and upgrading inadequate electrical systems. It would also fund renovating school fields and athletic facilities for community use, improving parking and walkways at schools, and upgrading handicapped accessibility throughout the campuses.
Outside of the general facility improvements, Prater noted he’s excited about the potential benefits to the district’s science, technology, engineering and math classrooms and labs should the bond measure pass.
“In order for our kids in K-12 to continue on to be competitive in the workforce, we know we have to give them certain opportunities,” Prater said. “And the only way we can do that is by attracting talented staff with facilities that allow them to do the things that we know are needed.”
Additionally, Prater noted that the potential enhancements to school security is one of the most important projects the bond could finance.
“In the years that I’ve been an administrator, I’ve seen our world become a more dangerous place,” Prater said. “And as the person where the buck stops at my feet, I take very seriously the responsibility of keeping our students and staff safe in our schools.”
The projects that could be funded by the bond measure include adding fencing around the elementary and middle school campuses, improving classroom locks and installing better security camera systems, Prater said.
“As superintendent, I look at this, and I’m well aware of what I’m asking for,” he said of the higher cost to property taxes that would result from passage of the bond measure. “I also think that I’m asking for things that are very important to properly educate our kids and ensure their safety.”
For community members interested in seeing how San Luis Coastal has spent its Measure D funds, the district will hold tours on Saturday.
At San Luis Obispo High School, tours will be held every 20 minutes from 10 a.m. to noon. At Morro Bay High School, tours will be held every 20 minutes from 2 to 4 p.m., according to the district.
