League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Sonoma County, CA June 5, 2012 Election
	Measure F Bonds Guerneville School District 55% Approval Required Pass: 993 / 64.8% Yes votes ...... 540 / 35.2% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure F

Arguments Against Measure F

Everyone knows the importance and value of having quality schools. From higher achieving students, to higher home values, to greater neighborhood safety, quality schools make a difference. While our teachers and staff do their best in educating our children, many classrooms and school facilities in the Guerneville School District are outdated and inadequate to provide local children with the school facilities they need to succeed. Our children need your Yes vote on Measure F! While our facilities have been well maintained, our elementary school classrooms and facilities are outdated and do not meet 21st century standards. Measure F would allow the District to improve the quality of education provided to local children. Therefore, we must invest in our school so it meets today's safety, technological, and educational standards. Measure F, if passed, will provide funding to make critical facility improvements at our elementary school by: improving student access to computers and modern technology; making health and safety improvements; modernizing outdated classrooms, restrooms and school facilities; improving energy efficiency by installing solar panels; modernizing playgrounds and playfields; and replacing old heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. Measure F makes financial sense and protects taxpayers. Measure F raises funds needed to improve our elementary school. By law, spending must be reviewed and annually audited by an independent citizens' oversight committee; and all bond funds must be spent locally and cannot be taken by the state. In addition, funds can only be spent to improve our local elementary school, not for teacher or administrator salaries. Measure F upgrades and renovates old and inadequate classrooms, improves the education of local children, and maintains the quality of our community. That's something we can all support. Please join us and vote Yes on Measure F! GUERNEVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT TRUSTEES s/ Donna Hines, President s/ Nancy Jo Wood Community Volunteer s/ John C. Schubert Senior Citizen s/ Ric Mancuso Resident Home Owner s/ Kimberly Rampone Business Owner Rebuttal to Arguments For Measure F's proponents describe inadequate school facilities in need of repair, outdated classrooms in need of modernization, and the need for computers and modern technology. They do not, however, describe any steps taken to plan for these easily anticipated expenses. The silence is deafening. None of these items came about by surprise. All are predictable and expected. Administrators have simply failed to plan for the future and want you to pay for their short-sightedness. Don't be misled by claims that tax rates will not increase. Bond principal, interest, and fees paid the investment bankers must all be repaid and will be added to your tax bill. It gets worse. Administrators want to borrow money today that will be repaid in 40 years. Money that will be used to purchase computers, solar panels and other equipment having useful lives well short of 40 years. Future generations will be making the payments on this equipment long after it has been depleted and replaced by yet more short-term equipment funded by yet more long-term borrowing. It's a vicious circle and our children pay for it. Contrary to a common misunderstanding that we oppose all taxes and bonds, we in fact support districts that establish replacement reserve funds to avoid the need for future borrowing and tax increases. We are also receptive to bond funding when the maturity of the bond matches the useful lives of the improvements and equipment being made or acquired. Neither is the case here. Vote no on F. SONOMA COUNTY TAXPAYERS' ASSOCIATION s/ Daniel A. Drummond, Executive Director s/ Jack Atkin, President

Bonds are loans and must be repaid just like your mortgage or car loan. But unlike those loans, bonds are repaid from higher taxes. Bonds are typically issued to facilitate the acquisition of assets having an expected useful life equal to or exceeding the life of the loan. Bonds thus allow the borrower to spread the cost of the asset over its expected useful life. But just as you would not take out a 30 year mortgage to buy a car, neither should the school district take out 40-year bonds to finance equipment (computers and other technology) and improvements (solar panels, updated air conditioning systems and playground modernization) that have useful lives well short of forty years. Doing so only places on our children and grandchildren the burden of paying tomorrow for assets that will have long since been sent to the landfill. Further, the fact that a roof and other major building components do not last forever should surprise no one. Providing for a sound roof, functioning heating system and other elements of the physical plant should be every bit as much a part of the annual budgeting as staff salaries and utility bills. Because roofs are not replaced every year, a portion of the replacement cost should be placed in a dedicated replacement reserve fund each year so that funds are available when needed. Without an adequately funded reserve only three things can happen - and they are all bad - the District must either defer maintenance, divert funds intended for educational programs to building maintenance, or raise taxes (issue bonds). Using bonds to fund the acquisition of short shelf-life items and failing to maintain an adequate reserve simply passes on to future generations the bill for today's needs. Vote no on Measure F. SONOMA COUNTY TAXPAYERS' ASSOCIATION s/ Daniel A. Drummond, Executive Director s/ Jack Atkin, President Rebuttal to Arguments Against Modern schools are critical to providing an excellent education, preserving property values for taxpayers, and maintaining quality communities. Guerneville voters know what's best for Guerneville schools. Don't be misled by the argument against Measure F. Consider the facts: Fact: The District has done a good job of maintaining its facilities over the years with the resources provided to it. For over 40 years, the District has found alternate funding sources to improve facilities without going to voters; this is no longer an option. Fact: By law, the types of school improvements that are being proposed must, and will, be consistent with the term of the bonds. Measure F bonds will have 25-30 year terms, not 40 years as was inaccurately stated. Fact: The State requires the District to keep a deferred maintenance fund to deal with maintaining facilities, which it has done. Because the State continues to reduce funding for public education, local voters need to do more to protect the quality of education in our local public schools. Fact: Measure F will improve the quality of education by modernizing, repairing, and renovating outdated classrooms and facilities. Having access to computers and modern technology as well as upgraded and modern schools, gives our local students the best chance to succeed. Join us and vote based on facts in supporting Measure F. s/ Nancy Lambert Business Owner s/ Robert Clary Cub Master Pack 22, Guerneville s/ Glenn L. Rampone Fire Medic/Home Owner s/ Tammy Leyden Guerneville School Teacher s/ Diane Landry Trustee, West Sonoma County High School District

Tax Rate Statement

An election will be held in the Guerneville School District (the "District") on June 5, 2012 to authorize the sale of $6,000,000 in general obligation bonds. The following information is submitted in compliance with Sections 9400-9404 of the California Elections Code. The best estimate of the tax rate that would be required 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 $.03000 per $100 ($30.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2012-13. The best estimate of the tax rate that would be required 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 $.03000 per $100 ($30.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2016-17. The best estimate of the highest tax rate that would be required to fund this bond issue, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing this statement, is $.03000 per $100 ($30.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation. These estimates are based on projections derived from information obtained from official sources. The actual tax rates and the years in which they will apply may vary depending on the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold at each sale and actual increases in assessed valuations. The timing of the bond sales and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the needs of the District. Actual assessed valuations will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the District as determined in the assessment and the equalization process. s/ Elaine Carlson Superintendent Guerneville School District

Full Text of Measure F

APPENDIX A BOND AUTHORIZATION By approval of this measure by at least 55 percent of the registered voters voting on the measure, the District will be authorized to issue and sell bonds of up to $6.0 million in aggregated principal at interest rates below the legal limit and to provide financing for the specific school facilities projects listed in the Bond Project List described below, subject to all the accountability requirements specified below. ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS The provisions in this section are specifically included in this measure in order that the voters and taxpayers in the District may be assured that their money will be spent wisely. Expenditures to address specific facilities needs of the District will be in compliance with the requirements of Article XIIIA, Section 1(b)(3), of the State Constitution and the Strict Accountability in Local School Construction Bonds Act of 2000 (codified at Education Code Sections 15264 and following.) Evaluation of Needs. The School Board has identified detailed facilities needs of the District and has determined which projects to finance from a local bond at this time. The School Board hereby certifies that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction, enrollment growth, and information technology needs in developing the Bond Project List shown below. Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee. The School Board shall establish an Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee, under Education Code Sections 15278 and following, to ensure bond proceeds are expended only on the school facilities projects listed below. The committee will be established within 60 days of the date when the results of the election appear in the minutes of the School Board. Performance Audits. The School Board shall conduct an annual, independent performance audit to ensure that the bond proceeds have been expended only on the school facilities projects listed below. Financial Audits. The School Board shall conduct an annual, independent financial audit of the bond proceeds until all of those proceeds have been spent for the school facilities projects listed below. Government Code Accountability Requirements. As required by Section 53410 of the Government Code, (1) the specific purpose of the bonds is set forth in this Full Text of the Measure, (2) the proceeds from the sale of the bonds will be used only for the purposes specified in this Measure, and not for any other purpose, (3) the proceeds of the bonds, when and if issued, will be deposited into a building fund to be held by the Sonoma County Treasurer, as required by the California Education Code, and (4) the Superintendent of the District shall cause an annual report to be filed with the Governing Board of the District not later than January 1 of each year, which report shall contain pertinent information regarding the amount of funds collected and expended, as well as the status of the projects listed in this Measure, as required by Sections 53410 and 53411 of the Government Code. FURTHER SPECIFICATIONS No Teacher or Administrator Salaries. Proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this measure shall be used only for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction and/or rehabilitation of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities and the payment and/or prepayment of school facility leases, and not for any other purpose, including teacher and administrator salaries and other school operating expenses. BOND PROJECT LIST The Bond Project List shown below is a part of the ballot measure and must be reproduced in any official document required to contain the full statement of the bond measure. Evaluation of Needs. As required by Article XIII A of the California Constitution, the Governing Board of the District has certified that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction and information technology needs in developing the list of school facilities projects shown below. Scope of Projects. Bond proceeds will be expended to modernize, replace, renovate, construct, acquire, lease, equip, furnish and otherwise improve the facilities of the District located at Guerneville Elementary School: The specific school facilities projects to be funded include, but shall not be limited to: School Facility and Classroom Repair and Renovation Projects Improve student access to computers and modern technology Renovate, repair, and/or upgrade classrooms, restrooms and school facilities Promote energy efficiency by installing solar panels Repair and upgrade roofs, walls, and floors Replace existing wiring systems to meet current electrical and accessibility codes and increased capacity Replace outdated plumbing systems to meet current codes Repair or replace outdated heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting systems with building code compliant, energy efficient systems Upgrade and equip labs, multipurpose rooms, food service facilities, auditoriums, libraries, and other school facilities Repair or replace outdated windows Renovate, repair, and/or upgrade outdated classrooms Replace outdated portable classrooms Construct an outdoor eating area Federal and State-mandated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility upgrades including site access, parking, staff and student restrooms, relocation of some existing electrical devices, drinking fountains, playground equipment, etc. Payment or prepayment of lease payments relating to existing facilities Install, replace or upgrade safety and security systems for our students and staff Upgrade playgrounds, play structures and P.E. fields for school and community use Replace/upgrade irrigation systems Federal and State-mandated Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) safety upgrades including playground equipment replacement Upgrade all technology in the District Upgrade school site parking, utilities and grounds Abate and remove hazardous materials identified prior or during construction Upgrade fire alarm systems Upgrade and expand telecommunications Repair, replace and/or upgrade paved surfaces, turf, and other grounds to eliminate safety hazards and improve outside instructional areas