This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/mnt/ for current information.
LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund If you appreciate our service to voters, please consider helping us with a donation.
Smart Voter
Monterey County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
Measure B
Bond Measure Election
Spreckels Union School District

55% Approval Required

Pass: 2,091 / 62.49% Yes votes ...... 1,255 / 37.51% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Results as of November 28 5:07pm, 100.00%% of Precincts Reporting (11/11)
Information shown below: Official Information | Full Text

Spreckels Union School District Student Achievement and School Safety Measure. To improve educational quality/student achievement/safety in every local school, retain teachers, reduce the impact of state budget cuts, qualify for matching grants by upgrading technology to improve teaching/student learning, repairing/upgrading fire alarms, 9-1-1 systems, roofs, ventilation, classrooms/computer labs. Shall Spreckels Union School District issue $7 million in bonds, within legal interest rates, with annual audits, citizens' oversight, and no funds for administrators' salaries or pensions?

Official Sources of Information

  Partisan Information

Pro

This election is archived. Any links to sources outside of Smart Voter may no longer be active. No further links will be added to this page.
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Full Text of Measure B
BOND AUTHORIZATION

By approval of this proposition by at least 55 percent of the registered voters voting on the proposition, the Spreckels Union School District (the "District") shall be authorized to issue and sell bonds of up to $7 million in aggregate principal at interest rates below the legal limit, to provide financing for the specific school facilities projects listed in the Bond Project List attached hereto as Exhibit A-1, subject to all the accountability requirements specified below.

BOND PROJECT LIST

The Bond Project List attached to this resolution as Exhibit A-1 shall be considered a part of the ballot proposition and shall be reproduced in any official document required to contain the full statement of the bond proposition.

Approval of this Bond Measure (the "Measure") does not guarantee that the proposed project or projects in the District that are the subject of bonds under the Measure will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by the Measure. If state matching funds become available, they will be used for and applied to the Bond Project List as per Exhibit A-1.

The school district's proposal for the project or projects may assume the receipt of matching state funds, which could be subject to appropriation by the Legislature or approval of a statewide bond measure.

ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS

The provisions in this section are specifically included in this proposition in order that the voters and taxpayers in the District may be assured that their money will be spent wisely to address specific facilities needs of the District all 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 Board has prepared an updated facilities plan in order to evaluate and address all of the facilities needs of the District. The Board hereby certifies that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction, enrollment growth, and information technology needs in developing the Bond Project List contained in Exhibit A-1.

Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee. The Board shall establish an Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee pursuant to Education Code Section 15278 and following to ensure bond proceeds are expended only on the school facilities projects listed in Exhibit A-1. The committee shall be established within 60 days of the date when the results of the election appear in the minutes of the Board.

Performance Audits. The Board shall conduct an annual, independent performance audit to ensure that the bond proceeds have been expended only on the school facilities projects listed in Exhibit A-1.

Financial Audits. The Board shall conduct an annual, independent financial audit of the bond proceeds until all of those proceeds have been spent only for the school facilities projects listed in Exhibit A-1. Specifically, the State is prohibited from seizing these local bond proceeds, and NO proceeds can be spent on administrators' salaries or pensions.

Special Bond Proceeds Account: Annual Report to Board. Upon approval of this proposition and the sale of any bonds approved, the Board shall take actions necessary to establish an account in which proceeds of the sale of bonds will be deposited. As long as any proceeds of the bonds remain unexpended, the Superintendent of the District shall cause a report to be filed with the Board annually stating (1) the amount of bond proceeds received and expended in that year, and (2) the status of any project funded or to be funded from bond proceeds. The report may relate to the calendar year, fiscal year, or other appropriate annual period as the Superintendent shall determine and may be incorporated in the annual budget, audit, or another appropriate routine report to the Board.

FURTHER SPECIFICATIONS

No Administrator Salaries. Proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this proposition shall be used only for the construction, reconstruction and/or rehabilitation of school facilities including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities or acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities and not for any other purpose, including teacher and administrator salaries and other school operating expenses.

The proceeds of the bonds will be deposited into a Building Fund to be held by the Monterey County Treasurer, as required by the California Education Code.

EXHIBIT A-1

SPRECKELS UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT BOND PROJECT LIST

The Board of Trustees of the Spreckels Union School District (the "District") evaluated the District's urgent and critical facility needs, including safety issues, outdated technology, and desire to improve student achievement and the quality of education in Spreckels schools, in developing the scope of projects to be funded.

The following school projects are the priorities that have been identified by the District in the Spreckels Facilities Funding Profile, following extensive input from school stakeholders including parents, teachers, staff, and the community.

In approving this Project List, the Board of Trustees determines that:

(i) improving our classrooms and school sites will allow the District to retain quality teachers and reduce the impact of state budget cuts on our schools; and

(ii) increasing student and teacher access to classroom technology supports student achievement and improves educational quality; and

(iii) improving student safety, including upgrading safety/fire alarms and 9-1-1 security systems, is necessary and important for our children's health and learning environment; and

(iv) Spreckels Elementary and Buena Vista Middle School will each receive their fair share of funding, and upgrades and repairs will benefit the community and every student and family served; and

(v) Specific accountability safeguards must be adhered to such as:

a. All expenditures must be subject to annual independent financial audits, b. No funds can be used for teacher and administrators' salaries and pensions (as determined by the California Attorney General), c. All funds must be used on SUSD projects only, d. An independent citizen oversight committee must be appointed to ensure that all funds are spent only as authorized.

Projects are not listed in priority order and may be enhanced, supplemented or expanded to the extent additional state and other unexpected funds become available for such projects in the future from non-bond sources. The specific school facilities projects to be funded include, but shall not be limited to:

LOCAL SCHOOL REPAIR, IMPROVEMENT, UPGRADE, EXPANSION AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS As needed and as sufficient funds are available, bond funds, in conjunction with eligible state funds and other future District funding/revenue sources, will be used to make the following types of repairs, classroom improvements and other upgrades to local school campuses and to improve school safety, as well as to construct, repair and/or expand additional classrooms to address overcrowding, ventilation and health and safety matters, as appropriate, including: District-wide Projects Implement classroom technology and computer upgrades, replacements and enhancements. Implement student safety repairs or upgrades including fire alarms, 9-1-1 security systems, other safety and security improvements and/or repairs or replacements of systems including clocks, alarms, public address systems, projectors, sound systems District-wide. Repairing roofs and ventilation systems in school facilities. Upgrade classroom instruction technology in school facilities. Construct and implement safety and security improvements at all District sites, including facility and site rehabilitation, upgrades and enhancements to support instruction District-wide. Seek to obtain matching state grant funds, when and if available, for eligible school repair, improvement, upgrade, expansion and new construction projects. Projects at Spreckels Elementary School Implement classroom technology and computer upgrades, replacements and enhancements. Implement student safety repairs or upgrades including fire alarms, 9-1-1 security systems, other safety and security improvements and/or repairs or replacements of systems including clocks, alarms, public address systems, projectors, and sound systems at the school site. Construct and implement additional safety and security improvements at this site, including facility and site rehabilitation, upgrades and enhancements to support instruction. Construct refurbishment, safety improvements and expansion of playfields. Construct and implement drainage and safety improvements including resurfacing of hard courts. Construct and implement parking and traffic flow safety and security improvements and upgrades, including ingress and egress. Construct and install energy-efficient solar energy power package and related improvements. Construct and implement rehabilitation, upgrades, improvements and repairs of plumbing and drinking fountains. Implement electrical and Ventilation/HVAC system improvements, upgrades, replacements and repairs. Address roofing concerns, including repairs, refurbishment, upgrades and/or replacement as appropriate. Purchase land and any rights-of-way and/or easements, if any are made necessary by such repair, improvement, upgrade, expansion, installation and/or construction projects. Implement associated onsite and offsite development and other improvements made necessary by any such repair, improvement, upgrade, installation, expansion and/or construction projects. Planning and designing necessary for any such repair, improvement, upgrade, expansion, refurbishment, and expansion and construction projects. Purchase and install new school furniture and equipment as needed, including communications, computer, other technology and equipment. Projects at Buena Vista Middle School Implement classroom technology and computer upgrades, replacements and enhancements. Implement student safety repairs or upgrades including fire alarms, 9-1-1 security systems, safety and security improvements and/or repairs or replacements of systems including clocks, alarms, public address systems, projectors, and sound systems at the school site. Construct and implement additional safety and security improvements at this site, including facility and site rehabilitation, upgrades and enhancements to support instruction. Conduct renovation, rehabilitation, repair and/or replacement of outdated portables. Conduct refurbishment, safety improvements and expansion of playfields and other physical education areas. Construct and install energy efficient solar energy power package and related improvements. Construct and implement rehabilitation, upgrades, improvements and repairs of plumbing and drinking fountains. Implement electrical and Ventilation/HVAC system improvements, upgrades, replacements and repairs. Address roofing concerns, including repairs, refurbishment, upgrades and/or replacement as appropriate. Purchase land and any rights-of-way and/or easements, if any are made necessary by such repair, improvement, upgrade, expansion, installation and/or construction projects. Implement associated onsite and offsite development and other improvements made necessary by any such repair, improvement, upgrade, installation, expansion and/or construction projects. Planning and designing necessary for any such repair, improvement, upgrade, expansion, refurbishment, expansion and construction projects. Purchase and install new school furniture and equipment as needed, including communications, computer, other technology and equipment.


Monterey Home Page || Statewide Links || About Smart Voter || Feedback
Created: December 17, 2012 13:45 PST
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://cavotes.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.