League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Luis Obispo County, CA November 4, 2014 Election
	Measure B-14 Extend Measure I-10: Modernize/Expand Education Facilities Atascadero Unified School District Bond Authorization - 55% Approval Required Pass: 5037 / 60.79% Yes votes ...... 3249 / 39.21% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure B-14	Arguments Against Measure B-14
In 2010, Atascadero Unified School District voters overwhelmingly passed a general obligation bond to improve our community's schools. Since that time, tremendous improvements have been made in repairing and rehabilitating our children's schools and classrooms. But much remains to be done. Measure B-14 will reauthorize $58 million of the previously approved 2010 bonds. By voting YES on Measure B-14, we can continue to improve our local public schools while at the same time SAVING MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS. Here's how: Measure B-14 will let Atascadero USD continue the job of fixing our schools by: Modernizing and expanding vocational education programs and facilities Repairing and modernizing aging school facilities throughout the District Improving student access to computers and technology Repairing and replacing roofs Measure B-14 makes financial sense and has taxpayer protections in place: Reauthorizing the 2010 bonds will allow the District to borrow at a much lower interest rate, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in interest. Iron-clad restrictions that money can only be spent on improving Atascadero's schools. No funds can be spent on administrator salaries, pensions, or benefits. The reauthorized bonds will NOT cause any increase in total District debt. Required annual review of all expenditures by an independent citizens' oversight committee. Legally required annual audits. All Measure B-14 funds MUST be used to improve our children's schools and CANNOT BE TAKEN AWAY BY THE STATE AND SPENT ELSEWHERE! Our local schools are our most important asset and should be our number one priority. Measure B-14 will improve our community's schools, help improve housing values, stimulate our local economy and save taxpayers millions of dollars in interest. Please join us by voting YES on Measure B-14! s/ Tom O'Malley s/ Mary Madalyn McDaniel s/ James R. Patterson s/ Alfred J. Fonzi II s/ Thomas N. Lawrie Rebuttal to Arguments For The district promises to "fix" the schools with this additional tax. It is the same worn promise that was made to the taxpayers with the first override in 1990, and the recent tax in 2010. What the heck happened to all the money that was supposed to do precisely what is promised now - once again? The district spends tens of millions every year. Supporters of this taxing measure point out that this money will be spent on infrastructure, not salaries and benefits. Think about it. Adding more money, even sequestered for special purposes, just enables those controlling those other millions to spend without restriction or, apparently, conscience. Nowhere do the proponents point out that AUSD saving "millions" in lower interest happens because the average homeowner will suffer a huge increase immediately on his property tax. Somehow doubling the looting of taxpayers' pocket books now doesn't feel like saving. It continues to amaze the average person how by spending more they can now "save". This ploy by commercial advertisers assure the spending public - not only that they need to replace something they already have, but by buying it, they are saving. The time has come for those who control the enormous money gobbling machine that is the school district to handle those millions to perform necessary activities. Consider this; however much AUSD appropriates and spends; it is never enough, so says the district. Implore the district to begin to live within its means. Please vote NO. s/ John Paul Daly	When the debt for the tax override AUSD imposed in 1990 had been satisfied by the homeowners; the district instantly sought, and obtained a new tax in 2010 that promised to do the very same things the first tax was promised to do. The projected costs of that tax was $129, 538,711. 00. Now the district is seeking yet another bond issue ... again, for the same purpose. As taxpayers we have become desensitized. We have heard numbers like million, hundreds of millions, billion and even trillion applied to dollars that the government spends to the point where we have become numb to how much money that is, and oblivious to how we are paying it. Nobody is against the children, education, teachers, mom, PTA , or apple pie. But the tattered whine: "It's for the children" as the government appropriates more and more is getting long. And, now it appears it is becoming much too frequent. Nobody is against providing an adequate education for the youth of California. But at some point a decision must be made that schools, like families, should live within reasonable limits. Those in favor of levying more taxes on local property ignore the current burden for public education in California. The property tax distribution tables show that in excess of 60% of such revenue is already allocated to schools. The homeowner is being taxed enough. This current proposal will double the override tax now being collected. Please vote NO on Measure B-14. s/ John Paul Daly Rebuttal to Arguments Against Your YES vote on Measure B-14 will allow us to continue the job of improving our local schools while saving taxpayers millions of dollars in future interest payments. Here's how: Measure B-14 is a bond reauthorization. It will not increase by one penny the total amount of District debt already approved by voters in 2010. Measure B-14 will SAVE taxpayers MILLIONS of dollars in interest. Measure B-14 will let us continue the job of improving our local schools. Measure B-14 will create new construction jobs to help our community. Measure B-14 money can only be spent on our community's schools and can't be used to fund administrative salaries, benefits or pensions. Measure B-14 funds must, BY LAW, be used to improve our LOCAL SCHOOLS and cannot be taken by the State and spent elsewhere. By reauthorizing $58 million of bonds that WERE ALREADY APPROVED in 2010, we can ensure that we get the best deal possible at the lowest price. These are OUR SCHOOLS and they benefit our entire community. These benefits go beyond just the education of our children. Strong schools help protect housing values, create a stronger local economy and lead to safer neighborhoods. Join us. Vote YES on Measure B-14! s/ Tom O'Malley s/ Mary Madalyn McDaniel s/ James R. Patterson s/ Alfred J. Fonzi II s/ Thomas N. Lawrie

Tax Rate Statement from Assistant Superintendent, Business Services

An election will be held in Atascadero Unified School District (the "District") on November 4, 2014 to reauthorize the sale of $58,000,000 in general obligation bonds, previously approved by voters in November 2010 through the issuance of new bonds. The following information is submitted in compliance with Sections 9400-9404 of the California Elections Code. 1. 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 $.06000 per $100 ($60.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2015-16. 2. 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 $.06000 per $100 ($60.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2021-2022. 3. 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 $.06000 per $100 ($60.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation. 4. The best estimate of the average tax rate required to fund this bond issue, based on a projection of assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is $.04733 per $100 ($47.33 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/ Jackie Martin, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services Atascadero Unified School District

Full Text of Measure B-14

BOND AUTHORIZATION By approval of this proposition 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 $58 million in aggregated principal at interest rates not in excess of 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. The Bonds may be issued under the provisions of the California Education Code (starting at Section 15100), under the provisions of the California Government Code (starting at Section 53506), or under any other provision of law authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds by school districts. The Bonds may be issued in series by the District from time to time, and each series of Bonds shall mature within the legal limitations set forth in the applicable law under which the Bonds are issued. District voters previously approved Measure I-10 at an election held in the District on November 2, 2010. However, the general economic downturn which commenced in 2008 has resulted in lower assessed valuations in the District, and, as a result, due to State law limitations imposed on the issuance of bonds under Measure I-10, the District estimates that it will not be able to issue all of the remaining Measure I-10 Bonds in the immediate future without incurring excessive borrowing costs. The Board of Trustees of the District has found and determined that there continues to be an urgent need in the District for the completion of the educational projects approved by District voters under Measure I-10. If the Bonds are approved and issued, the Board of Trustees of the District has covenanted that it will cancel and shall not authorize the issuance of Measure I-10 Bonds in a like amount. 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. 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) and California Government Code Section 53410 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 Section 15278 and following to ensure that 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. Special Bond Proceeds Account Annual Report to Board. Upon approval of this proposition and the sale of any bonds approved, proceeds of the bonds will be deposited into a Building Fund to be held by the San Luis Obispo County Treasury, as required by the California Education Code. As long as any proceeds of the bonds remain unexpended, the Superintendent of the District shall cause an annual report to be filed with the Board of Trustees 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 the proposition, as required by Sections 53410 and 53411 of the California Government Code. 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. BOND PROJECT LIST Projects Subject to Available Funding; Matching Funds. The following list of projects is subject to the availability of adequate funding to the District. Approval of this measure does not guarantee that the proposed projects in the District that are the subject of bonds under the measure will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by the bond measure. The District's proposal for the projects may assume the receipt of matching state funds, which could be subject to appropriation by the Legislature or approval of a statewide bond proposition. Scope of Projects. Bond proceeds will be expended to modernize, replace, renovate, construct, acquire, equip, furnish, rebuild and otherwise improve educational and support facilities within the District. Projects which are described below include all related and incidental costs, including their share of the costs of the election and bond issuance and costs of design, engineering, architect and other professional services, inspections, site preparation, utilities, landscaping, construction management and other planning, legal, accounting and similar costs, independent annual financial and performance audits, a customary construction contingency, and other costs incidental to and necessary for completion of the listed projects. Bond proceeds may also be expended to acquire real property (or any interest in real property) for future educational and support facilities and to acquire and install furniture, fixtures and equipment at any classrooms and other educational facilities within the District. The District may alter the scope and nature of any of the specific projects which are described below as required by conditions that arise during the course of design and construction. LIST OF SPECIFIC SCHOOL FACILITIES PROJECTS Renovation, Modernization, Repair and Construction of Schools Facilities Projects Bond proceeds will be expended to modernize, replace, renovate, construct, acquire, equip, rebuild and furnish the District's classrooms, restrooms, and facilities including but not limited to those located at: Atascadero High Monterey Road Elementary Atascadero Junior High San Benito Elementary Carrisa Plains Elementary San Gabriel Elementary Creston Elementary Santa Margarita Elementary Del Rio Continuation High School Santa Rosa Road Academic Academy Fine Arts Academy West Mall Alternative Whenever specific items are included in the following list, they are presented to provide examples and are not intended to limit the generality of the broader description of authorized projects. Some of the projects listed below may not be financed with bond proceeds depending upon actual project costs. The order in which particular projects are listed is not intended to indicate priority for funding or completion. Expand the District's vocational education programs and facilities, such as welding and automotive technology, culinary arts, medical and health technology, and construction trades Upgrade classrooms and educational facilities with up-to-date computers and technology Construct a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics' facility at Atascadero High School Repair and replace roofs Meet handicap accessibility (ADA) requirements in restrooms and classrooms Upgrade and replace outdated heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems Repair, renovate and modernize outdated and aging classrooms and school facilities throughout the District Install solar and other energy cost saving systems Renovate restrooms throughout the District Upgrade playfields and athletic facilities throughout the District Construct and develop a Visual and Performing Arts Center at Atascadero High School Repurpose one of the existing high school buildings to accommodate a student and staff cafeteria including a staff development, meeting & classroom facility Renovate and reconstruct the downtown junior high campus Renovate or relocate and reconstruct the downtown Atascadero Fine Arts Academy