3,903 / 64.1% Yes votes ...... 2,188 / 35.9% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote of this measure means:

A "yes" vote is a vote to authorize the issuance and sale of the general obligation bonds not to exceed the principal amount of $19,900,000 for the uses specified.

A NO vote of this measure means:

A "no" vote is a vote not to authorize the issuance and sale of said bonds.

Proposition 39, approved by the voters in a statewide election November, 2000, amended the California Constitution to authorize the issuance of bonded indebtedness to acquire or improve real property, if approved by fifty-five percent of the votes cast by voters in an election. The Constitution permits the debt service on such bonds to be paid through the imposition of ad valorem property taxes on property located within the district. The maturity of any such bonds issued would not exceed 25 years for those bonds issued pursuant to the Education Code, and 40 years for those bonds issued pursuant to the Government Code, at a rate of interest within the legal limit. The tax rate is estimated not to exceed $30 per $100,000 of taxable property in the District as provided in the Tax Rate Statement. Since the interest rate on the bonds is determined when the bonds are sold, the exact amount of the tax increase can only be determined after the bonds are sold.

With annual audits and citizen oversight, proceeds of the bonds would be used to repair school classrooms and buildings, upgrade roofs, ventilation, and heating systems, and equip school facilities and sites. add classrooms, and provide student drop off areas.

A "yes" vote is a vote to authorize the issuance and sale of the general obligation bonds not to exceed the principal amount of $19,900,000 for the uses specified.

A "no" vote is a vote not to authorize the issuance and sale of said bonds.

Ann Miller Ravel, County Counsel

By: Kathryn A. Berry, Deputy County Counsel

Please note

The material about this Measure has been retyped from Registrar of Voters' material. There could be errors. The official material can be obtained from the Registrar of Voters.

Pros & Cons meeting

Feb. 21 - 7:30 - 9:30 pm

Saratoga Community Center
19655 Allendale Ave.
sponsored by AAUW and LWV

Friends of Saratoga Schools - Yes on Measure L Committee

Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County - Vote No on Measure L

Saratoga Union School District - construction updates

In 1997, Saratogans passed Measure D to repair our schools. Since Measure D's passage, we've built additional classrooms and completed critical renovations at every school. A higher percentage of bond money was spent on hard construction costs than in most other districts.

When Saratogans passed Measure D, no one anticipated the rapid rise in construction costs resulting from the recent economic and real estate boom. As a result, your help is still needed to complete safety and modernization projects urgently required in our schools.

Our schools are 44 to 74 years old. The oldest is Saratoga Elementary, built in the 1920's. Redwood Middle School is nearly 50 years old, and doesn't meet current instructional standards.

Measure L provides funding to complete the repairs and renovations needed at Redwood, Saratoga, Argonaut and Foothill, while maintaining the 1997 tax rate. Measure L projects include:

• Renovating classrooms
• Upgrading old bathrooms
• Upgrading heating, ventilation/cooling systems
• Removing asbestos
• Re-roofing where needed
• Replacing underground utilities, including outdated water, sewer, electrical/gas lines
• Constructing covered walkways
• Adding student counseling/support service areas
• Building additional classrooms
• Purchasing instructional equipment

Remember, Measure L completes important repairs under strict accountability rules.

Vote YES on Measure L.

Cynthia Ruby, Saratoga Union School District Board of Trustees

T. Cynthia Chang, President, Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees

Catherine Thermond, Redwood Middle School PTA President

Vince Garrod, Retired Saratoga Union School District Board Member, Garrod Farms

Dianne Priest, Saratoga Union School District Teacher

The District claims an Oversight Commiffee will ensure Measure L funds will be spent only as specified in the 'Bond Plan', whatever that is, instead of in materials distributed to the voters. Although unauthorized expenditures were brought to the attention of the Measure D Oversight Commiffee, it did nothing to prevent them, citing planning documents containing plans not disclosed to the voters.

The disproportionate $14.6 million measure L would provide for Redwood includes an apparently extravagant administration ("counseling/support") building. This provides a hint of how significant were the combined costs of multiple unauthorized expenditures of Measure D funds at the other three campuses.

Before asking for more funds, the District must provide a detailed breakdown of how it has spent Measure D funds, with particular attention to these unauthorized expenditures.

Rejection of Measure L will inform the District that it should submit a bond measure for the November general election with a more reasonable amount for which it shall have provided voters sufficient justification beforehand.

Reminder: Only 55% approval is required. Vote NO.

http://www.VoteNoOnL.org. provides additional information.

Wesley I. Ferguson, Taxpayer and voter, Saratoga Union School District

The District was well aware of its shortage of funds before starting construction on these unauthorized items. If it had dropped them, it would have had more than enough for what the voters had authorized. Instead, it chose not to drop them but rather to sacrifice authorized items. It even demolished an entirely serviceable cafeteria/assembly building at Argonaut, replacing it by sacrificing new classrooms if not more. It thereby has given priority to items of little educational value.

$14.6 million of the new funds are for Redwood. With how much has already been spent there, this is exorbitant even considering that it includes a new administration building. The remaining $5.3 million are for Argonaut and Foothill but the authorized new classrooms are not included. These will only be built under the unlikely prospects that the planned project is completed under budget or the State awards matching funds from an already reduced education budget.

This District must not be rewarded for having betrayed the voters' trust and violated what the voters had authorized. Vote NO.

Wesley I. Ferguson, Taxpayer and voter, Saratoga Union School District

FACT: Any implication that Measure D funds have been misused is UNTRUE. 1997's Measure D Plan called for 30 classrooms-35 classrooms were completed with Measure D funds.

FACT: Measure D built classrooms and science labs, enlarged libraries and multipurpose rooms and added appropriate student services space. We also completed seismic upgrades at Saratoga School and modernized Argonaut and Foothill. A Bond Oversight Committee published regular reports proving that every dime was spent properly.

FACT: Our schools are ranked in the top California percentiles for reading, writing, and math, creating more enrollment demands. Measure L can build more classrooms not initially planned under Measure D.

FACT: Measure L is subject to even tougher fiscal accountability laws. Measure L's Bond Oversight Committee will have legal powers and must include a representative from a Taxpayers' Association. Performance and financial audits are required to be published on an annual basis.

FACT: By law, all Measure L funds can only be spent on projects specified in your voter handbook. Measure L funds cannot be spent on administrative salaries or other operating costs.

FACT: Measure L simply maintains the tax rate previously approved by voters in Measure D. All Measure L payments are tax deductible.

We must complete these projects to enable us to maintain small class sizes and academic excellence. Vote YES on Measure L.

Cynthia Ruby, Saratoga Union School District Board of Trustees

T. Cynthia Chang, President, Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees

Catherine Thermond, Redwood Middle School PTA President

Vince Garrod, Retired Saratoga Union School District Board Member, Garrod Farms

Dianne Priest, Saratoga Union School District Teacher

You are hereby notified in accordance with Section 9401 of the Elections Code of California of the following:

1. The best estimate from official sources of the tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund principal and interest payments during the first fiscal year after the first sale of bonds (Fiscal Year 2002-03), based on assessed valuations available at the time of the election and taking into account future growth, is the following:

$.01050 per $100 of assessed valuation, which, when added to the projected tax rate required for the District's outstanding 1997 Election General Obligation Bonds, equates to $39.00 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.

2. The best estimate from official sources of the tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund principal and interest payments during the fiscal year after the last sale of bonds and an estimate of the year in which that rate will apply (again, Fiscal Year 2002-03, since all of the bonds are expected to be sold at once), based on assessed valuations available at the time of the election and taking into account future growth, is as follows:

$.01050 per $100 of assessed valuation, which, when added to the projected tax rate required for the District's outstanding 1997 Election General Obligation Bonds, equates to $39.00 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.

Year after last sale of bonds: 2002-03

3. The best estimate from official sources of the highest tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund principal and interest payments on the bonds and the year in which such rate would apply, based on assessed valuations at the time of the election and taking into account future growth, is as follows:

$.03000 per $100 of assessed valuation, which equates to $30.00 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.

Year of highest tax rate: 2024-25.

Submittal of the foregoing statement has been approved by the Saratoga Union School District.

The Board of Trustees of the Saratoga Union School District has evaluated safety, class size reduction, and information technology needs in developing the scope of school facilities projects to be funded, each as more fully described in the Saratoga School District Implementation Plan, originally approved by the Board of Trustees in February 1998, as amended, at the estimated costs shown:

Projects	Estimated Costs
Redwood School	$14,600,000
* Renovate and modernize classrooms
* Upgrade bathrooms
* Upgrade heating, ventilation, cooling systems
* Remove asbestos
* Construct student support service areas
* Site improvements

Argonaut and Foothill Schools	$ 5,300,000
*Refinance the projects funded by the District's
Certificates of Participation,including
new classrooms, classroom renovation and
site work, including water and sewer,
electrical and gas lines, and student
drop-off areas

The allocation of bond proceeds will be affected by the District's ongoing collection of developer fees, the receipt of State matching funds and the final costs of each project. The budget for each project is an estimate and may be affected by factors beyond the District's control.

The District has applied for State matching funds. In the event that the District receives money from the State for any of the above-mentioned projects or if the projects described are completed under budget, causing the District to have surplus bond money, such funds will be used to enable the following projects:

• Re-roof existing buildings at Foothill School
• Continue to replace underground utilities at Argonaut, Foothill, Saratoga, and Redwood Middle Schools
• Construct covered walkways at Argonaut, Foothill, Saratoga, and Redwood Middle Schools
• Acquire educational equipment for all schools
• Construct classrooms, as needed, at Argonaut, Foothill, and Redwood Schools
• Upgrade student drop-off area at Redwood Middle School