School bond hits the ballot

March 2020 measure will seek $198 million for Las Virgenes district



MAPPED OUT—The school district’s Facilities Master Plan includes improvements needed at Agoura High School, above, and at A.E. Wright Middle School, whose campus layout is shown at right. The high school needs security cameras, fencing and classroom upgrades.

MAPPED OUT—The school district’s Facilities Master Plan includes improvements needed at Agoura High School, above, and at A.E. Wright Middle School, whose campus layout is shown at right. The high school needs security cameras, fencing and classroom upgrades.

The Las Virgenes school board has given final approval for a $198-million bond measure to appear on the March 3, 2020 ballot.

Called the Las Virgenes Unified School District Safety, Repair, Career Readiness Measure, the bond will require 55% voter approval for its passage.

Monies will be used to improve campus safety, repair and equip classrooms and bring instructional technology up to date. Buildings in the school district’s 15 campuses need new roofs, plumbing and air conditioning, school officials said.

The general obligation, or municipal bond, will levy a 2-cent tax per $100 in assessed valuation, or $20 per $100,000.

Along with finalizing the bond language, the LVUSD Board of Education also approved a district-wide project list, or facilities master plan, that details the specific jobs to be funded by the bond measure.

“These improvements include installing fully operational air conditioning systems in buildings that regularly experience temperatures in excess of 85 degrees, the repair of aging roofs that suffer from hundreds of leaks, the modernization of instructional technology and the upgrading of safety security and fire prevention efforts that have become so critically important in recent years,” the bond measure states.

Images courtesy of Las Virgenes Unified School District

Images courtesy of Las Virgenes Unified School District

Revenue from the sale of the bonds is not to be used for salary raises.

If approved by voters, the new bond will be number three on the books for property owners living in the school district’s four-city region.

In 2006, voters approved Measure G, a $128-million bond issue for campus upgrades that included construction of two high school performing arts centers, technology upgrades, new security and fire

systems, updated instructional technology, and the replacement of trailers with permanent classrooms. New high school football fields were also installed. Measure G taxes properties at $32.72 per $100,000 valuation.

BUILDING BLOCKS—The school district’s Facilities Master Plan outlines in depth what the needs are for each campus. The map above shows the proposed work at Round Meadow Elementary in Calabasas. Photo and images courtesy of Las Virgenes Unified School District

BUILDING BLOCKS—The school district’s Facilities Master Plan outlines in-depth what the needs are for each campus. The map above shows the proposed work at Round Meadow Elementary in Calabasas. Photo and images courtesy of Las Virgenes Unified School District

In 1997, voters passed the $93-million Measure R bond, which allowed the district to reduce class sizes and build the new Yerba Buena Elementary School. Measure R taxes end in 2025; Measure G tax ends in 2034.

The district’s bonds have been refinanced four times at a reported savings of more than $11 million in debt service.

Lagging behind

Las Virgenes officials say the school district receives less per-pupil funding from the state because LVUSD’s upscale, socio-economic standing brings fewer needy students into the classroom.

“There are a lot of challenges with funding for education,” school board member Lesli Stein said.

“LVUSD’s funding puts us in the bottom 15% of all school districts in the state in per-pupil funding and we receive no funding for facility needs,” she said. “We are at the mercy of the state and federal governments.”

FROM OLD TO NEW—Using some of the $198 million in bond money, buildings like the one above at Chaparral Elementary School in Calabasas will be updated and a new classroom building constructed. The new building will contain nine classrooms.

FROM OLD TO NEW—Using some of the $198 million in bond money, buildings like the one above at Chaparral Elementary School in Calabasas will be updated and a new classroom building constructed. The new building will contain nine classrooms.

Los Angeles Unified, for example, receives some $3,000 more per-pupil in-state funding because of its large number of high-needs students, figures show.

Another issue impacting school districts throughout California is pension liability. As the state works to stabilize a pension program that was decimated by the 2009 recession, Sacramento has asked LVUSD to increase its contribution to the public school retirement fund from $5 million to $15 million each year.

Officials say the increased contribution has taken money away from other, equally pressing needs in the sprawling district.

Revenue from the bond will not be applied to the district’s pension obligation.

“It is important to clarify that bond dollars are not able to be used for staff costs or pensions,” said Karen Kimmel, LVUSD’s assistant superintendent for business service.

“Bond dollars will be invested in our buildings and infrastructure.”

Moving forward

The detailed 2020 Facilities Master Plan is available on the LVUSD website, which delineates each campus’ improvements.

At Calabasas and Agoura High schools, improvements will include upgrading the aquatics facilities to competition size with stadium bleachers and upgrading to state-of-the-art technology to prepare students for the challenges of the modern job market and higher education.

All of the elementary schools will receive repairs and upgrades to instructional spaces, air-conditioning systems, roofing and plumbing repairs and other upgrades.

Outdoor learning spaces will be improved, additional outdoor shade accommodations and play structures will be built.

The bond measure could also result in savings for the district. Installing solar panels, for example, could shave an estimated $700,000 annually in expenses for utilities.

With a bond in place, LVUSD can use the revenue to meet matching fund requirements for grants that would not otherwise be available.

“A bond provides a school district with local control of monies to meet the critical facility needs. The state cannot take any of the money; it stays in LVUSD for improvements to our schools,” Stein said.

School board members cannot advocate for the bond’s approval, but members of the community can. Jill Gaines, a former school board member, and community resident Megan Glynn will head up the bond campaign as it moves into high gear in the coming weeks.