League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Mateo County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Measure D School Bond Measure Woodside Elementary School District School Bond Measure - 55% Approval Required Pass: 713 / 64.4% Yes votes ...... 395 / 35.6% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure D

Arguments Against Measure D

Protect the outstanding and award winning education children receive at Woodside Elementary School. Vote YES on Measure D. For over 160 years, Woodside Elementary School has been an important part of what makes our community special. Our great teachers and rigorous math, science, and reading curriculum have prepared generations of Woodside students to succeed in high school, college, and careers. We want that legacy to continue. It has been nearly a decade since we invested in the physical upkeep of Woodside Elementary. Facility needs are growing - the school needs major roof, sewer, and other repairs, and renovation of heating and electrical systems. Measure D will allow Woodside Elementary to address these basic needs. Specifically Measure D will: repair critical school facilities including sewer, lights, and leaking roofs upgrade classrooms and other facilities to meet current health and safety codes, and replace two aging portable classrooms with permanent facilities replace older heating and electrical systems to save on utility bills protect the quality of academic instruction in math, science, reading, and writing, and help students receive a 21st century education Every penny of Measure D will be locally controlled and used to improve Woodside Elementary facilities. BY LAW these funds cannot be taken by the State or spent on administrators' salaries or pensions. Taxpayer protections are REQUIRED: an Independent Citizens' Oversight commission will ensure funds are spent properly. This prudent measure asks for far less money than neighboring school measures and will be supplemented by a private parent fundraising effort. Measure D is a smart investment to keep Woodside a desirable place to live and to enhance our property values. Measure D is proudly endorsed by residents from every Woodside neighborhood. Join teachers, parents, and Woodside community leaders in supporting Measure D. Please VOTE YES on Measure D. /s/ Wendy Warren Roth, Woodside Elementary School District Board President /s/ Frank York, President, W.L. Butler Construction, Inc. and long time Woodside resident /s/ Charline Quest Douty, longtime Woodside resident /s/ Erika M. Demma, Realtor & longtime Woodside resident /s/ Rudolph W. Driscoll, Jr., Woodside Elementary School District Board Member Rebuttal to Arguments For When school boards ask voters for permission to go into debt with bonds like Measure D, they are admitting that everything they are currently spending your tax dollars on is more important than the projects for which this tax increase is being spent. Budgets reflect priorities. Woodside Elementary School District is saying every educational dollar spent today is going to something they consider a higher priority than "safety issues" and "computer technology." Do you agree? Would you buy a computer with a useful life of 3-5 years and pay for it with a 25 year loan? No? That's what the District is asking you to do! The latest figures from Education Data Parternship (www.Ed-Data.K12.ca.us) show only about 453 students in Woodside Elementary School District which means this bond could exceed $29,500 per student - NOT counting interest and administrative expenses. Which is more important to you? 1. Paying reasonable amounts on "safety issues" and "computer technology" now with dollars already in school's budgets 2. Sending nee tax dollars - through principal and interest payments - to big banks, investment brokers, and other people who buy these bonds as tax shelters If you value children's safety and technology more than funding tax shelters, vote NO on Measure D. If you value school maintenance more than making interest payments for 25 years, vote NO on Measure D. for more information: http://www.SVTaxpayers.org/2014-06-woodside-elementary-sd-bond /s/ Mark W.A. Hinkle, President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers' Association

When school boards ask voters for permission to go into debt with bonds like Measure D, they are admitting that everything they are currently spending your tax dollars on now is more important than the projects for which this tax increase is being sought. Budgets set priorities. Woodside Elementary School District is saying every educational dollar spent today is going to something they consider a higher priority than "safety issues" and "computer technology." Do you agree? Would you borrow money for computer technology that will be obsolete in 3-5 years yet pay interest on that loan for a quarter century? Education Data Partnership (www.Ed-Data.K12.ca.us) shows only about 453 students in Woodside Elementary School District which means this bond could exceed $29,500 per student - NOT counting interest and administrative expenses. When we buy homes, truth-in-lending laws require we be told the real coast of buying these homes. For example: borrowing $1,135,500 and paying 5% interest for 30 years means annual payments of $73,115 in principal and interest- for a lifetime cost of $2,193,454. Shouldn't consumer protection laws apply to bond issues, too? As taxpayers we deserve to know the full truth about Measure D. We don't know when this debt will begin or what the market interest rate will be when it does. Which is more important to you? 1. Paying reasonable amounts on "safety issues" and "computer technology" now with dollars already in schools' budgets 2. sending new tax dollars - through principal and interest payments - to big banks, investment brokers, and wealthy people who buy these bonds as tax shelters. If you value children's safety and technology more than funding tax shelters, vote No on Measure D. If you value school maintenance more than making interest payments for 25 years, vote NO on Measure D. For more information: http://www.SVTaxpayers.org/2014-06-woodside-elementary-sd-bond /s/ Mark W.A. Hinkle, President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers' Association Rebuttal to Arguments Against We must invest now to continue preparing Woodside Elementary students to succeed in high school, college, and careers. It has been nearly a decade since we invested in major capital repairs to Woodside Elementary - this bond addresses critical facility needs. Don't be misled by the out-of-town authors who oppose Measure D. Their statements are false. They oppose all school bond measures and they are NOT from Woodside. Measure D will repair critical school facilities including sewer, lights, and leaking roofs. It will also remove two old portable classrooms, repair classrooms, and other facilities to meet current health and safety codes and replace older heating and electrical systems to save on utility bills. By investing in facility repairs, we protect the quality of academic instruction in Woodside to ensure that students are receiving the best math, science, reading, and writing instruction. Measure D is modest - it asks for far less money than neighboring schools and will be supplemented by a private parent fundraising effort. Measure D REQUIRES strong accountability provisions: all funds are locally controlled and can only be used to repair and improve Woodside Elementary facilities no funds may be used for administrators' salaries BY LAW these funds cannot be taken by the State an Independent Citizens' Oversight commission will ensure funds are spent properly Measure D is a smart investment. Good schools enhance property values and keep our community strong. Join teachers, parents, Woodside community leaders, and residents from every Woodside neighborhood in supporting Measure D. /s/ Wendy Warren Roth, Woodside Elementary School District Board President /s/ Richard Mainz, long-time Woodside resident /s/ Mary Pinkus, Woodside School Foundation President /s/ Veda Putnam, Woodside School PTA President /s/ Marc Tarpenning, Woodside Elementary School District Board Vice President