League of Women Voters of California
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Measure B School Bond San Rafael Elementary School District 9365 / 68.5% Yes votes ...... 4300 / 31.5% No votes
See Also:
Index of all Measures |
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Results as of Nov 21 1:20pm, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (35/35) 65.0% Voter Turnout (14654/22551) |
| Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement | Full Text | ||||
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To enhance the quality of education through facility improvements; enhance student safety; upgrade, construct, acquire and equip school libraries, facilities, classrooms, science labs; modernize plumbing and bathroom facilities; upgrade technology infrastructure; install energy efficient heating/cooling systems; remove hazardous conditions; repair leaky roofs, shall San Rafael Elementary School District issue $49,300,000 of bonds at legal interest rates, create a Citizens Oversight Committee, and perform audits to guarantee that funds are spent only on school improvements?
Dated: August 22, 2002
PATRICK K. FAULKNER
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| Arguments For Measure B | Arguments Against Measure B | ||
| We must upgrade the schools so current and future students can
be educated in clean, safe and accessible classrooms. A
comprehensive modernization plan is in place and work has
started. Approval of Measure B will allow the district to qualify for
additional state and federal matching funds, keep the momentum,
complete modernization, and finish the job.
Bond funds will be used to:
Measure B requires mandatory fiscal oversight. A Citizen's Oversight Committee will review and audit bond expenditures and report annually. Every dollar will be accounted for, and no funds will go to district salaries. Measure B and its companion Measure A are essential to ensure the highest quality education for our children. Join our broad coalition. Vote Yes on Measures A and B.
s/ Al Boro, Mayor
s/ Margaret Jones, President
s/ Bruce Mac Phail, Chair
s/ Betty Pagett, Director of Education and Advocacy, Ecumenical
s/ Dolly Nave, Community Volunteer
"Quality education" depends upon good teachers working with attentive students, with disruptive students ousted. It is not dependent upon increasing spending to reduce student-teacher ratios. "Additional classrooms" don't insure smaller classes. Only more teachers can do that. Measure B explicitly prohibits expenditures for teacher salaries. Studies have shown that smaller class sizes have had little or no impact on improving educational achievement. Six decades ago, normal classes of 30 to 35 students were more competent in English grammar, reading and writing, in geography, history and math, than today's students, and their textbooks were not "dumbed down" to lower grade levels. Why are the schools only now installing "reliable fire alarms"? Measure B won't "improve property values," but will raise both taxes and housing prices, tending to push "affordable housing" further out of reach for Marin's workforce. Teachers, others are largely priced out of today's housing market. Much of our school crowding comes from the huge influx of illegal aliens into Marin, yet the School Districts and the County refuse to determine the full impact of illegal immigration on our school, housing, medical and other tax-supported infrastructure. We cannot get reimbursement for the costs resulting from unquantified illegal aliens. Failure to even investigate the problem of illegal aliens only encourages more illegal immigration into Marin. The Citizens Oversight Committees do not control spending or insure performance. Vote a resounding NO on Measure B.
s/ Fielding L. Greaves, Secretary | It is clear that the School District is never loath to reach out for
more money at every opportunity, even though it already has
adequate funding and is expecting more from other sources. The
extensive project list indicates mismanagement in prolonged
deferred maintenance.
This Measure B bond issue will cost taxpayers roughly $75 millions in interest and principle over the 30 years to maturity, a continuing burden of taxation, especially when combined with the Measure A bond issue and the statewide Prop. 47. This Measure B bond issue in the amount of $49.3 millions is taxation piled upon taxation, and many taxpayers are crying for relief, feeling both tapped out and taxed out.
s/ Fielding L. Greaves, SecretaryResident
The schools desperately need these repairs to enhance learning and improve safety for children. Costs have been carefully considered. Most homeowners will pay less than $5.75 per month # less than a single movie ticket. A well-designed maintenance plan will protect these improvements. Bond funds will be used for:
The San Rafael Elementary School District is very aggressive in obtaining such matching funds. The District also has a AAA bond rating for their fiscal management. This means your tax dollars are maximized. There is no waste. The single Measure B opponent campaigns against school improvement measures throughout Marin County. Many of the facts and figures he cites are inaccurate and purposely misleading. Our community prides itself on coming together for important civic projects. Let's do it again. Please join our coalition of homeowners and businesspeople in voting YES on Measure B and its companion Measure A to improve our local schools.
s/ Paula Freschi Kamena
s/ Margaret Jones, President
s/ Maynard H. Willms
s/ Mark Garwood, Chairman of the Board
s/ Charlene F. Lusk |
| Tax Rate Statement |
| An election will be held in the San Rafael City Elementary School
District (the "Elementary District") on November 5, 2002, to
authorize the sale of up to $49,300,000 in bonds of the Elementary
District to finance school facilities as described in the proposition.
If the bonds are approved, the Elementary District expects to sell
the bonds in series over time. Principal and interest on the bonds
will be payable from the proceeds of tax levies made upon the
taxable property in the Elementary 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 $0.02994 per $100 ($29.94 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2003-04. 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 $0.02989 per $100 ($29.89 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 $0.03000 per $100 ($30.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2018-19. Based on these estimated tax rates, the average annual tax over the life of the bonds would be $29.97 for $100,000 of assessed valuation. Voters should note that these estimated tax rates are based on the assessed value of taxable property in the Elementary District as shown on the County's official tax rolls, not on the property's market value. In addition, taxpayers eligible for a property tax exemption, such as the homeowner's exemption, will be taxed at a lower effective tax rate than described above. Certain taxpayers may also be eligible to postpone the payment of taxes. Property owners should consult their own property tax bills and tax advisors to determine their property's assessed value and any applicable tax exemptions. 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 estimates are based upon the Elementary District's projections and are not binding upon the Elementary District. The dates of sale and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the Elementary District based on need for construction funds and other factors. 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 Elementary District as determined by the County Assessor in the annual assessment and the equalization process. Dated: August 1, 2002 s/ Laura Alvarenga, Ed. D. Superintendent |
| Full Text of Measure B |
| The following is the full proposition presented to the voters by the
San Rafael Elementary School District. "To enhance the quality of
education through facility improvements; ensure student safety;
upgrade, construct, acquire and equip school libraries, facilities,
classrooms, science labs; modernize plumbing and bathroom
facilities; upgrade technology infrastructure; install energy efficient
heating/cooling systems; remove hazardous conditions; repair
leaky roofs, shall San Rafael Elementary School District issue
$49,300,000 of bonds at legal interest rates, create a Citizens
Oversight Committee, and perform audits to guarantee that funds
are spent only on school improvements?" The Board of Trustees of
the San Rafael Elementary School District has evaluated safety,
class size reduction, and information technology needs in
developing the scope of school facility projects to be funded,
including the following projects:
PROJECTS
The expenditure of bond money on these projects is subject to tough financial accountability requirements. Performance and financial audits will be performed annually, and all bond expenditures will be monitored by an independent Citizens Oversight Committee to ensure that funds are spent as promised and specified. Funds for School Improvement Only: Proceeds from the sale of the bonds authorized by this proposition shall be used only for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of elementary school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, and not for any other purpose, including teacher and administrator salaries and other operating expenses. By law, all funds can only be spent on repair and improvement projects specified. |
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Created: December 6, 2002 03:14 PST
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