LWV League of Women Voters of California
Smart Voter
San Mateo County, CA November 6, 2001 Election
Measure H
Renovation and Modernization of School Buildings and Grounds
Jefferson Elementary School District

Bond - 2/3 Vote Required

3,324 / 68.0% Yes votes ...... 1,567 / 32.0% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Information shown below: Yes/No Meaning | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement |

"To provide elementary school students with warm, safe, dry classrooms that are conducive to learning, by renovating and modernizing the school buildings in the Jefferson Elementary School District, including replacing old, inefficient heating and ventilating systems, aging plumbing and restrooms, out-dated electrical systems, and other acquisition or construction of or improvements to school buildings and grounds, shall the Jefferson Elementary School District issue $52,000,000 in bonds at interest rates within the legal limits?"

Meaning of Voting Yes/No
A YES vote of this measure means:
A two-thirds "yes" vote on this measure would allow Jefferson Elementary School District to issue bonds of up to $52 million for renovating and modernizing school facilities.

A NO vote of this measure means:
A "no" vote would prevent Jefferson Elementary School District from issuing bonds of up to $52 million.

Impartial Analysis
Education Code section 15100 authorizes a school district to issue bonds for specified purposes. However, the voters must first approve the issuance of the bonds at an election by a two-thirds vote.

This measure would authorize the Jefferson Elementary School District to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $52 million. The bonds will have an interest rate not to exceed the legal maximum and shall mature in no more than 25 years. The Board of Trustees has listed the specified purposes of the bonds to be: renovating and modernizing classrooms and school buildings; replacing heating and ventilation systems, plumbing, restrooms, electrical systems; other acquisition or construction of or improvements to school buildings and grounds.

A "yes" vote on this measure would authorize Jefferson Elementary School District to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $52 million for the specified purposes of renovating and modernizing classrooms and school buildings; replacing heating and ventilation systems, plumbing, restrooms, electrical systems; other acquisition or construction of or improvements to school buildings and grounds.

A "no" vote would prevent Jefferson Elementary School District from issuing bonds of up to $52 million.

This measure passes if two-thirds (2/3) of those voting on the measure vote "yes."

  Events

Forum on Measure H
Wednesday, October 10, 7:30 - 9:00 pm, City Hall Council Chambers, 333 90th Avenue, Daly City. Co-sponsored by the City of Daly City and the League of Women Voters of North San Mateo County
General Links

For information about the Jefferson Elementary School District and its programs
Partisan Information

Yes on H
Shows current state of JESD schools and explains why Measure H should be passed.
Suggest a link related to Measure H
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Arguments For Measure H Arguments Against Measure H
All but one of the schools in the Jefferson Elementary School District are old. They need rehabilitation. Sixteen of the seventeen schools serving elementary and intermediate students in Daly City and Colma have not been renovated since they were built. Measure H will raise the funds needed to renovate local schools so they can continue to serve the community.

The facts are clear:

  • These elementary and intermediate schools are between thirty-five and fifty years old.

  • Dry rot, leaking roofs, aging heating and ventilating systems must be repaired.

  • Outdated electrical systems must be replaced to access current classroom technology.

  • Aging plumbing needs replacement and the restrooms renovated to better serve all students.

  • Worn-out classroom lighting must be replaced with new, energy efficient lighting systems.

  • Old portable classrooms must be replaced.

In addition, gyms must be built at Ben Franklin and T.R. Pollicita Intermediate Schools where students now must use classrooms for PE classes on rainy days.

All of these projects have been reviewed in detail by a committee of private citizens - most of whom do not have children in school. They strongly recommended the district place Measure H on the November ballot. The District also has a plan to maintain it's renovated school. A portion of each year's budget will be allocated for maintenance.

Measure H raises $52 million. None of these funds can be spent on administrator or teacher salaries.

The cost is reasonable. If approved by two-thirds majority, Measure H will cost homeowners a yearly average of $39.00 per $100,000.00 of assessed -- not market -- value. As Measure H funds are spent, a community oversight community will monitor all projects and expenditures.

Measure H is an investment in our schools and our community. Join us in voting yes on Measure H.

/s/ Albert M. Teglia
Chairman - Bonds for Children Campaign - Former Daly City Mayor

/s/ Marta Inés Bookbinder
President, Jefferson Elementary School Board

/s/ Nattie Fong
Parent

/s/ Judith L. Dávila
Manager of Housing and Community Development, San Mateo County

/s/ Carol L. Klatt
Mayor - City of Daly City

Rebuttal to Arguments For
The facts are clear: The schools are well-funded, and property tax payers are bearing more of the costs than ever before. The last 8 budgets, starting in 92/93 were:
$28,107,294
$28,851,689
$29,050,632
$31,812,733
$34,103,280
$38,235,463
$39,291,805
$40,025,287

Property taxes given to the district more than doubled: from $11.5 million to $27.5 million. Enough is enough! It's time to give home owners and renters a break. (Renters can't even deduct the taxes they pay through their rent.)

After receiving almost $270 million during the last 8 years, the school's faculty should be happy with good wages, and the school's buildings should be in sparkling shape. If they're not, it's time to take a look at the management. The taxpayers have done their part.

- And there's not a thing on the district's wish list that can't be done with regular property taxes, careful spending, and a little bit of patience.

Note: Bond pushers always understate the yearly assessment by averaging tax rates from 25 years in the future. (Tax rates decline in future years in direct proportion to increases in assessed valuations.)

In practical terms, the average household would have to pay $3,500 for this bond, over the next 25 years, no matter how you slice it.

/s/ John J. Hickey
Chair, Libertarian Party of San Mateo County

/s/ Christopher VA Schmidt
Retired Computer Professional

A Question: Have you ever thought the following?

"I wish my parents had borrowed more money when I was a kid - and left their debts for me to pay off."

Of course not! - but many or most politicians seek to do exactly that with bonds: Borrow now and pay later. It's only "other people's money". But we do not need to borrow money to fund our schools.

Boatloads of Money: Combine the following:

  • record property tax revenue from some of the most expensive real estate in America
  • record sales tax revenue from one of the highest sales tax rates in America
  • record state income tax revenue from the richest state taxpayers in America
  • bonus money from the state lottery ...and what do you get? Boatloads of money.

The Jefferson Elementary School District's take adds up to $40 million annually, or $110,000 per classroom of 20. That should be enough to pay teachers well AND pay for maintenance and overhead. Raising more money would only encourage waste and graft.

This is a vote on decades of future interest payments, adding over $40 million to the original cost of the bond. No, thanks.

The Bottom Line: Principal and interest payments would total over $92 million. That's over $3,500 in new taxes per household, over the next 25 years - on top of what you pay now.

/s/ Robert Fliegler
Candidate for Jefferson Elementary School Board Trustee

/s/ John J. Hickey
Chair, Libertarian Party of San Mateo County

/s/ Christopher VA Schmidt
Retired Computer Professional

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
There are basic facts about Measure H that our opponents choose to ignore:

  • All but one of the schools in the Jefferson Elementary School District are old. Each must be renovated to continue to serve the community. Just saying there might be "boatloads of money" somewhere in California does not change the fact that there are no state or local funds available to address the needs of our local schools.

  • The cost is reasonable. It will cost a yearly average of $39 per $100,000 of assessed (not market) value. Do not be misled by our opponents' statement.

  • Bonds are used across the state and nation to build schools. The reason is simple. School bonds spread the cost of building schools among all of those whose children and neighbors will use the classrooms, libraries and other facilities renovated with bond funds over the next 30 years. The alternative is to ask today's taxpayers to pay the entire cost of renovating our schools. That's not fair.

Measure H is an investment in our community. The School Board was asked to place this proposal on the ballot by a committee of local residents - many without children in the public schools. We trust their recommendation more than the contents of the statement being used by the Libertarian Party to oppose every school proposal in San Mateo County.

Join us in making an investment in our schools - and in the value of our homes - by voting yes on Measure H.

/s/ Betty R. Schultz
Retired - Governing Board Member
Jefferson Union High School District

/s/ Alfred O. Belotz
Director/Treasurer of the "Supporters of Doelger Senior Center, Inc."

/s/ Frossanna "Fro" Vallerga
Council Member-Town of Colma

/s/ Michael P. Guingona
Council Member - City of Daly City

/s/ Michael Nevin
Board of Supervisors-San Mateo County

Tax Rate Statement from Robert J. Carter, Superintendent, Jefferson School District
An election will be held in the Jefferson School District (the "District") on November 6, 2001, to authorize the sale of up to $52,000,000 in general obligation bonds of the District to finance the acquisition and improvement of real property for school purposes. It is expected that bonds will be issued in series over time. If such bonds are authorized and sold, the debt service on the bond issue (for all series combined including both principal and interest) will be funded by proceeds of taxes levied upon taxable property in the District.

The following information regarding tax rates is given to comply with Sections 9400 et seq. of the California Elections Code. Such information represents the District's best estimates and is based upon actual assessed valuations available at the time of this election and projections of future assessed valuations based upon experience within the District and upon other demonstrable factors. These estimates assume the entire bond debt service will be repaid from property tax revenues.

1. The best estimate of the tax rate that will be required to be levied to fund the bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the first series of bonds is 3.9˘ per $100 of assessed valuation (or, stated another way, $39 per $100,000 of assessed valuation) in the fiscal year 2002/03.

2. The best estimate of the tax rate that will be required to be levied to fund the bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the last series of bonds and an estimate of the year in which that rate will apply is 4.8˘ per $100 of assessed valuation (or, stated another way, $48 per $100,000 of assessed valuation) in the fiscal year 2006/07.

3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate that will be required to be levied to fund the bond issue and an estimate of the year in which that rate will apply is 4.8˘ per $100 of assessed valuation (or, stated another way, $48 per $100,000 of assessed valuation) for the fiscal year 2006/07.

4. The best estimate of the average tax rate that will be required to be levied to fund the bond issue over its entire term (estimated to be from 2002/03 through 2029/30) is 3.9˘ per $100 of assessed valuation (or, stated another way, $39 per $100,000 of assessed valuation).

Attention to all voters is directed to the fact that the foregoing information represents the District's best estimates and is based upon certain projections and estimates. These estimates are not binding upon the District. Variations in the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold at each bond sale, the structure of repayment for each series of bonds, future assessed valuations, and market interest rates at the time of each sale will affect these estimates. The actual date of the sales of said bonds, the amount sold on any given date, and the structure of repayment will be governed by the needs of the District and other factors (including tax rate impact). The actual interest rates at which the bonds will be sold, which in any event will not exceed the maximum permitted by law, will depend upon the market for the bonds at the time of each sale. Actual assessed valuation in future years will depend upon the value of property within the District as determined in the assessment and the equalization process. Hence, the actual tax rates and the years in which such rates are applicable may vary from those presently estimated above.


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Created: December 3, 2001 02:34
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