Measure Q - Ballot Measure

To improve local schools with funds that cannot be taken by the State and spent elsewhere,
shall Lemon Grove School District’s measure to replace aging roofs; upgrade STEM (science,
technology, engineering, math) classrooms; increase computer access; and replace
portables with permanent classrooms be adopted, authorizing $27 million of bonds with
legal rates, levies below 3¢/ $100,000 of assessed valuation (generating $1.6 million/ year
through 2053), annual audits, independent oversight, state matching funds and no increase
in tax rates

 

LEMON GROVE SCHOOL DISTRICT 
FACILITIES AND EDUCATIONAL ENHANCEMENT BOND MEASURE

By approval of this measure by at least fifty-five percent (55%) of the registered voters voting thereon, the Lemon Grove School District (“District”) shall be authorized to issue and sell bonds of up to $27,000,000 in aggregate principal amount to provide financing for the specific school facilities projects listed below in the Bond Project List, subject to all of the accountability safeguards specified herein. 

SECTION I:     KEY FINDINGS The Lemon Grove School District is committed to continuing a strong, high-quality educational program for the students in all of its local public schools.
Through this process, the Lemon Grove School District Board of Trustees determined that the District’s schools require repairs and upgrades, including updates to facilities to meet current health, safety, fire, and earthquake standards.  Specifically, the Board of Trustees desires to:

•    Renovate aging classrooms and science labs for 21st century learning and provide flexible classrooms and labs for science and other core academics;
•    Update school libraries and instructional technology at all schools;
•    Fix or replace deteriorating roofs, remove aging and unsafe portable buildings; 
•    Improve school fire and earthquake safety; 
•    Replace old, outdated and inefficient electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation systems;
•    Provide dedicated classrooms for music, art, and performing arts electives;
•    Repay short-term COP Funding for construction of a new early education school campus for 3-5 year olds serving preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten students; and
•    Fund other areas of facilities related to building an entirely new campus not eligible for funding as well as to support temporary housing of these preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten students until new facilities are constructed.

 

SECTION II: ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES
The provisions in this section are included in this proposition in order that the voters and taxpayers of the District may be assured that their money will be spent to address specific facilities needs of the District, all in compliance with the requirements of Article XIII A, section 1(b)(3) of the State Constitution, and the Strict Accountability in Local School Construction Bonds Act of 2000 (codified at Section 15264 et seq. of the California Education Code).
Evaluation of Needs. The Board of Trustees has evaluated the facilities needs of the District, and has identified projects to finance from a local bond measure at this time. The Board of Trustees has certified that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction and information technology needs in developing the Bond Project List.
Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee. The Board of Trustees shall establish a new or empower an existing independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee in accordance with Education Code sections 15278-15282 and applicable Board policy, to ensure bond proceeds are expended only for the school facilities projects listed in the Bond Project List. The committee shall be established within sixty (60) days of the date when the Board of Education enters the results of the election in its official minutes.
Annual Performance Audit. The Board of Trustees shall conduct or cause to be conducted an annual, independent performance audit to ensure that the bond proceeds have been expended only on the school facilities projects described in the Bond Project List.

Annual Financial Audit. The Board of Trustees shall conduct or cause to be conducted an annual, independent financial audit of the bond proceeds until all of those proceeds have been spent.
Annual Report to Board. Upon approval of this measure and the sale of any bonds approved, the Board of Trustees 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 shall cause a report to be filed with the Board of Trustees no later than January 1 of each year, commencing on the first January 1 after bonds have been issued and proceeds spent, stating (1) the amount of bond proceeds received and expended in the past fiscal year, and (2) the status of any project funded or to be funded from bond proceeds. The report may be incorporated into the annual budget, annual financial report, or other appropriate routine report to the Board.

 

SECTION III: BOND PROJECT LIST
This Bond Project List, which is an integral part of this proposition, describes the specific projects the District proposes to finance with proceeds of the bonds.  All information contained within this “Section III: Bond Project List” comprises the list and description of permissible projects and expenses that may be paid from bond proceeds.  
In order to meet all identified facility needs, the District intends to complete projects using a combination of funding sources, including joint use funds or contributions, development impact fees, and state funding (if available). The District will pursue state matching funds if and when they become available, and if received, they will be used for and mainly applied to projects on the Bond Project List or other high priority capital outlay expenditures as permitted in Education Code section 17070.63(c).  While no specific project is dependent on the receipt of state funding for completion, approval of this measure does not guarantee that all projects on this Bond Project List at all listed sites will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by this measure. The District’s proposal for the projects assumes the receipt of some state matching funds, which could be subject to appropriation by the Legislature or approval of a statewide bond measure.

Proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this measure shall be used only for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, replacement, furnishing and equipping of school facilities on the Bond Project List, which is organized as shown below by project categories (Categories A-C).  Unless otherwise specified below within a category, projects listed below may be completed at any and all school sites and facilities where such project is determined necessary, and projects are authorized to be performed at each and all of the District’s schools, campuses, properties and buildings, administrative and support facilities whether owned or yet to be acquired, including, without limitation, the following school sites and properties:

 

•    Lemon Grove Academy Elementary School
•    Lemon Grove Academy Middle School
•    Monterey Heights STEAM Academy
•    Mount Vernon School
•    Palm Site
•    San Altos Elementary School
•    San Miguel Elementary School
•    Vista La Mesa Academy
•    Virtual Learning Academy

Specific projects to be funded by the bond measure include, without limitation, the following:

 

I.    SCHOOL UPGRADES AND REPAIRS TO KEEP EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES SAFE, CLEAN AND IN GOOD REPAIR
•    Fix and/or replace deteriorating roofs;
•    Remove aging and unsafe portable buildings;
•    Replace old, outdated, and inefficient electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation systems;
•    Improve school fire and earthquake safety;
•    Repair and replace aging student restrooms and plumbing systems;
•    Improve energy efficiency to reduce maintenance and operating costs;
•    Remove asbestos from school facilities;
•    Ensure safe access and security at all schools for all students, staff, and community members.  
•    Provide classroom intrusion alarms, safety locks on classroom doors, and exterior lighting for student safety;
•    Upgrade emergency communications and technology backup systems, security systems, and fencing;
•    Renovate or provide kindergarten classrooms and play areas that are further from the street;
•    Improve student safety and traffic circulation by upgrading or providing additional school drop-off areas and parking lots.

 

II.    PROJECTS TO ENSURE STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO SAME QUALITY OF CLASSROOMS, EDUCATION, AND SERVICES AS IN NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES
•    Renovate and reconstruct aging classrooms;
•    Create dedicated classrooms for music, art and performing arts electives;
•    Upgrade or construct additional facilities for health services, student services and physical education.

 

III.    EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND FACILITY UPGRADES FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNING 
•    Renovate aging classrooms and science labs for 21st century learning;
•    Provide up-to-date classroom and instructional technology;
•    Renovate, repair and upgrade school libraries for student learning and to accommodate updated technology;
•    Construct flexible classrooms and labs for science and other core academics.

 

IV.    PRE-K FACILITIES

•    Repay short term COPs Funding used for construction of a new early education school campus for 3-5 year olds serving preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten students;
•    Fund other areas of facilities related to building an entirely new campus as well as to support temporary housing of these preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten students until new facilities are constructed.

Listed projects, repairs, improvements, rehabilitation projects and upgrades will be completed only as needed, and the listing of projects does not imply a particular prioritization among such improvements. Projects may be done in phases, based on Board of Trustees priorities. Listed projects may be completed at any and all District schools, sites, properties (owned, leased or yet to be acquired) and education buildings where such project is determined necessary. Bond projects are anticipated to provide benefit to all users of school facilities, sites and buildings, including charter schools that occupy school campuses, community members and other organizations. 

Decisions regarding the scope, timing, prioritization or other facets of project implementation will be made solely by the Board of Trustees by subsequent action. Where terms such as “renovate,” “upgrade,” “remodel,” “modernize,” and “improve” are used in the Bond Project List, the Board of Trustees has the discretion to determine the best method for accomplishing the project’s objective. For any listed project involving renovation or modernization of a building or the major portion of a building, the District may proceed with new replacement construction instead (including any necessary demolition), if the District determines that replacement and new construction is more practical than renovation, considering the building’s age, condition, expected remaining life, comparative cost and other relevant factors. In addition, where feasible, projects may be completed in partnership with other agencies on a joint use basis using bond proceeds, including joint use projects located on sites owned by other agencies.  Property, buildings and equipment on the bond project list may be acquired or constructed through lease, sale, lease-purchase, lease-leaseback or other project delivery or acquisition methods determined appropriate by the Board.

Each project is assumed to include its share of costs of bond issuance, architectural, engineering, legal and similar planning costs, construction management, bond project staff and consultants, staff development and training expenses associated with learning construction techniques and approaches and new bond-funded equipment and systems, and a customary contingency for unforeseen design and construction costs. Payment of the costs of preparation of facilities planning and project implementation studies, feasibility and assessment reviews, master planning, environmental studies, permit and inspection fees, Division of State Architect (DSA) and/or Title 24 building code requirements, studies and assessments, including ADA and seismic, and temporary housing and relocation costs for dislocated programs or activities caused or necessitated by projects on the Bond Project List, are permissible bond expenditures. Land may be acquired for any project, and all projects may be furnished and equipped using bond proceeds to ensure the functionality and usability of facilities and sites constructed or reconstructed with bond proceeds.  Bond proceeds may be used to retire any interim funding incurred to advance fund projects described on the Bond Project List.

The final cost of each project will be determined as plans are finalized and projects are completed. Based on the final costs of each project, certain projects described above may be delayed or may not be completed. Necessary site preparation, grading or restoration may occur in connection with acquisition of property, new construction, modernization, renovation or remodeling, or installation or removal of modular classrooms, including ingress and egress, removing, replacing or installing irrigation, utility lines, trees and landscaping, relocating fire access roads and acquiring any necessary easements, leases, licenses or rights of way to property.

 

SECTION IV: ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS
No Operating Expenses. Proceeds from the sale of Bonds authorized by this proposition shall be used only for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities on the Bond Project List, including the furnishing and equipping of said school facilities, or the acquisition or lease of real property for said school facilities, and not for any other purpose, including teacher or administrator salaries and other school operating expenses in accordance with applicable law.

Single Purpose. All of the purposes enumerated in this proposition shall be united and voted upon as one single proposition, pursuant to Section 15100 of the California Education Code, and all the enumerated purposes shall constitute the specific single purpose of the bonds and proceeds of the bonds shall be spent only for such purpose.
Other Terms of the Bonds. The bonds may be issued and sold in several series, and in accordance with a financing plan determined by the Board of Education pursuant to requirements of law. When sold, the bonds shall bear interest at an annual rate not exceeding the statutory maximum and with a maximum term not exceeding the statutory maximum, provided that the average useful life of bonds sold will not exceed one hundred twenty percent (120%) of the average life of the projects being financed or as otherwise provided by federal tax law. Bond funds may be used to reimburse the District for Bond Project list expenditures incurred prior to the election and bond issuance, in accordance with federal tax law.

Attention of all voters is directed to the fact that the financial information contained in this measure is based upon the District's projections and estimates only, which are not binding upon the District, nor are the summary or average payment estimates, if any, provided in the Ballot Label. The actual tax rates, debt service and the years in which they will apply may vary from those presently estimated, due to variations from these estimates in the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold and market interest rates at the time of each sale, and actual assessed valuations over the term of repayment of the bonds. The dates of sale and the amount of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on need for construction funds and other factors. The actual interest rates at which the bonds will be sold will depend on the bond market at the time of each sale. Actual future assessed valuation will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the District as determined by the County Assessor in the annual assessment and the equalization process.

In preparing this information, the District obtained reasonable and informed projections of assessed property valuations that took into consideration projections of assessed property valuations made by the County Assessor, if any, in accordance with Education Code Section 15100(c).