Burlingame among 4 school districts asking voters for funds (full article in Chronicle)
The oldest school in the Burlingame elementary district was built in 1913 and designed by famed architect William H. Weeks. But like other 94-year-olds, McKinley Elementary could use some physical therapy, said school board President Dave Pine, whose son goes there. "Our bathrooms are in just terrible shape," Pine said. So district officials placed Measure A - a $48.2 million general obligation bond - on the Nov. 6 ballot. They hope it will provide the funds to fix leaky roofs, improve fire safety and upgrade bathrooms at the district's six schools - including the newest, Burlingame Intermediate, which is more than a half century old.
Burlingame is one of four Bay Area school districts asking voters to pony up money next month.The other districts are trying to raise millions of dollars through parcel taxes to supplement academic programs not fully covered by state funds. Those districts are Lafayette elementary in Contra Costa County, Sonoma Valley Unified in Sonoma County, and Reed Union elementary in Marin County.
Parcel taxes must be approved by two-thirds of voters and cannot be spent on school buildings. Bond measures need 55 percent approval and must be spent on facilities. Pine, the school board president in Burlingame, said he hopes the bond will pass, even though many new homeowners in Burlingame have objected to general obligation bonds because they require that newcomers pay a disproportionately high share of their cost. For example, to pay for Measure A, homeowners would be billed $30 per $100,000 of their home's assessed value. A longtime homeowner whose assessment has lingered for years in the $300,000 range would pay about $90 a year for the bond.But a neighbor who paid $1.2 million for the house next door would have to give $360 a year.
A storm-drain bond lost in Burlingame last year after new homeowners persuaded voters that the funding mechanism was unfair. But this year, homeowners say they will not publicly oppose the bond. Not only is it for schools - a more attractive cause than, say, underground pipes, but its 55 percent approval threshold (for school bonds only) would make it tough to beat. "I have to accept that there is a chance of success with Measure A," said parent Lorne Abramson, who was a leader against the storm-drain bond ...
The oldest school in the Burlingame elementary district was built in 1913 and designed by famed architect William H. Weeks. But like other 94-year-olds, McKinley Elementary could use some physical therapy, said school board President Dave Pine, whose son goes there. "Our bathrooms are in just terrible shape," Pine said. So district officials placed Measure A - a $48.2 million general obligation bond - on the Nov. 6 ballot. They hope it will provide the funds to fix leaky roofs, improve fire safety and upgrade bathrooms at the district's six schools - including the newest, Burlingame Intermediate, which is more than a half century old.
Burlingame is one of four Bay Area school districts asking voters to pony up money next month.The other districts are trying to raise millions of dollars through parcel taxes to supplement academic programs not fully covered by state funds. Those districts are Lafayette elementary in Contra Costa County, Sonoma Valley Unified in Sonoma County, and Reed Union elementary in Marin County.
Parcel taxes must be approved by two-thirds of voters and cannot be spent on school buildings. Bond measures need 55 percent approval and must be spent on facilities. Pine, the school board president in Burlingame, said he hopes the bond will pass, even though many new homeowners in Burlingame have objected to general obligation bonds because they require that newcomers pay a disproportionately high share of their cost. For example, to pay for Measure A, homeowners would be billed $30 per $100,000 of their home's assessed value. A longtime homeowner whose assessment has lingered for years in the $300,000 range would pay about $90 a year for the bond.But a neighbor who paid $1.2 million for the house next door would have to give $360 a year.
A storm-drain bond lost in Burlingame last year after new homeowners persuaded voters that the funding mechanism was unfair. But this year, homeowners say they will not publicly oppose the bond. Not only is it for schools - a more attractive cause than, say, underground pipes, but its 55 percent approval threshold (for school bonds only) would make it tough to beat. "I have to accept that there is a chance of success with Measure A," said parent Lorne Abramson, who was a leader against the storm-drain bond ...
- Written by Fiona
To clarify, school GENERAL OBLIGATION bonds only require the lower 55% threshold; however, other types of school bonds (i.e., Mello Roos/Comumunity Facilities District)require the usual, higher 2/3 supermajority. Either way, here's more detail from the actual ballot (I've come to appreciate firsthand how important it is to read the "fine print" before making an "investment" decision!):
Tax Rate Statement
http://www.smartvoter.org/2007/11/06/ca/sm/meas/A/#tax
Full text (with caveats about state matching funds):
http://www.smartvoter.org/2007/11/06/ca/sm/meas/A/#text
Posted by: | October 10, 2007 at 02:13 PM