Beckie's Reasons for Supporting Proposition K

By Beckie Garrett

Proposition K will make it possible to make desperately needed improvements to schools at a reasonable cost to the district and with minimal impact on homeowners' property taxes.

The average assessed value of a home in the district is $300,000. For the average homeowner, payment on the bond would mean about $11 per month ($132 per year) in additional property taxes. This figure is based on a charge of approximately $44 per $100,000 of assessed (not market) value of a home.

The upgraded facilities that would be made possible by the bond + coupled with the district's stellar academic success and the growing recognition of San Marcos, home of CSUSM and Palomar College, as a hub of education + will enhance property values as the economy begins to recover.

Thus, this bond will be an excellent investment on many levels for taxpayers and families. Aside from the obvious need throughout the district for repairs and renovations, here are some other reasons to support Proposition K:

• Cost of construction is 15 + 40% less than it was several years ago. By passing the bond in November, the district will be able to take advantage of these historic lower costs, saving millions of dollars over the long haul.
• Local North County contractors will be used, creating hundreds, if not thousands, of local jobs over the life of construction.
• Funds raised by the sale of the bonds will remain under local control and cannot be taken by the state.
• Passing the bond will help the district leverage about $50M in matching funds from the state that will go to other districts if our bond does not pass.
• The oldest schools with the greatest need will receive the most funds. These include Richland, La Costa Meadows, Alvin Dunn, Knob Hill, Paloma, and Twin Oaks Elementary Schools, San Marcos and Woodland Park Middle Schools, and San Marcos and Twin Oaks High Schools.
• The district is still growing and will have great difficulty housing all its projected students if additional capacity is not provided. Aging portables comprise more than 60 percent of classrooms at some of our sites.
• The district has done a superb job of maintaining its existing facilities; however, at some of the sites listed above, the tipping point, at which it is cheaper to rebuild than continue to repair, has been reached.
• Both Palomar College and CSUSM are adding to their facilities in anticipation of the growth that is imminent in this education hub.
• Expenditure of bond funds will be closely monitored by an independent citizens' oversight committee.

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