Los Gatos voters to decide on bond measure for elementary, middle schools
A bond measure that would unlock $163 million to update and renovate school facilities in the Los Gatos Union School District will be put to voters this fall.
Measure CC ended up on the November ballot after receiving full support of the district’s board of trustees in August, and would fund projects like security improvements and classroom upgrades outlined in a facilities master plan that the district put together in the last academic year. Supporters of the measure say it would be a meaningful investment in the long-term wellbeing of the district and the students who will benefit from improved facilities.
The Los Gatos Union School District includes Blossom Hill, Daves Avenue, Van Meter and Lexington elementary schools and Raymond J. Fisher Middle School. The district’s facilities master plan was the result of several meetings and surveys with students, parents and other community members in the district.
Eleanor Tullis, campaign chair for Measure CC, said, “Safety and security is always top of mind for me, as it is with the district, and one of the things that the bond is looking to do is improving security, and continue to work on that in terms of improving the security systems, adding electronic access points with card readers and improving the perimeter fencing.”
The bond measure would authorize the school district to take out loans worth $163 million to fund facilities improvements, which it would pay back with interest using annual property taxes of about $29.98 per $100,000 of assessed taxable property value.
The primary argument against the measure, filed with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, states that voters should not support the measure because the district already put a $99 million bond measure to the voters in 2014. But there is no record of such a measure for the Los Gatos Union School District that year, though a $99 million bond measure did pass for the Los Gatos Saratoga Union High School District in 2014.
Proponents of the measure, like Kristin Finkelstein, criticized the arguments against the measure for not having accurate information.
“It almost feels like they’re against the interests of Los Gatos residents,” said Finkelstein, who is also part of the campaign for Measure CC. “It is an investment in schools, which means the residents will be making that investment. However, if we don’t, then I do believe it would impact the value of the school district.”
Town councilmember Maria Ristow, who endorsed the measure, said she hasn’t encountered anyone who opposes it – just people who don’t know it’s on the ballot.
“I just try to make sure people know that there’s a bond measure for the elementary district for really important and necessary upgrades to the facilities and that we really need people to support,” she said.
The Los Gatos Saratoga Union High School District, which includes Los Gatos and Saratoga high schools, put a parcel tax increase to West Valley voters in a special election this May. The parcel tax measure narrowly passed, with just a handful of votes pushing it to an approval.
But supporters of Measure CC say they’re not as worried about the bond measure for the middle and elementary schools passing this November because it needs 55% of voters to approve it, compared to the 66% that the parcel tax required.
“I am confident that we can get it across the line,” Tullis said. “I believe in Los Gatos, I believe in the future of our kids, I believe in the future of our schools, and I also believe in how well the district is performing and how well they have their act together and are really looking towards the future.”