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LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Smart Voter
San Diego County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
Proposition S
School Repair and Safety Measure
San Diego Unified School District

55% Approval Required

Pass: 261672 / 68.71% Yes votes ...... 119136 / 31.29% No votes

See Also: Index of all Propositions

Results as of Jan 24 10:40am
Information shown below: Yes/No Meaning | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement |

To improve every neighborhood school by; repairing outdated student restrooms, deteriorated plumbing and roofs; upgrading career/vocational classrooms and labs; providing up-to-date classroom technology; improving school safety/security; replacing dilapidated portable classrooms; upgrading fire alarms; and removing hazardous substances; shall San Diego Unified School District issue $2,100,000,000 in bonds at legal interest rates, requiring independent citizen oversight, annual audits, NO money for administrators, and bonds issued only if NO estimated tax rate increase?

Meaning of Voting Yes/No
A YES vote on this measure means:
A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of authorizing the San Diego Unified School District to issue and sell up to $2,100,000,000 in general obligation bonds.

A NO vote on this measure means:
A "no" vote is a vote against authorizing the San Diego Unified School District to issue and sell up to $2,100,000,000 in general obligation bonds.

Impartial Analysis from County Council
This proposition, if approved by 55% of the voters voting on the proposition, would authorize the San Diego Unified School District ("District") to issue and sell up to $2,100,000,000 in general obligation bonds. The sale of these bonds by the District will raise money for the District, and represents a debt of the District. In exchange for the money received from the bondholders, the District promises to pay the bondholders an amount of interest for a certain period of time, and to repay the loan on the maturity date.

Proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this proposition may be used by the District only for the construction, reconstruction and/or rehabilitation of its school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of its school facilities, acquisition, or lease of real property for its school facilities and construction management by District personnel.

The interest rate on any bond, which is established at the time of bond issuance, cannot exceed 12% per annum. The final maturity date of any bond could be no later than 25 years after the date of bonds issued pursuant to the Education Code or not later than 40 years after the date of bonds issued pursuant to the Government Code. Principal and interest on the bonds would be paid by revenue derived from an annual tax levied on taxable property within the District in an amount sufficient to pay the interest as it becomes due and to provide a fund for payment of the principal on or before maturity.

California Constitution Article XIII A exempts from the one percent property tax rate limitation ad valorem taxes to pay the interest and redemption charges on any bonded indebtedness for the acquisition or improvement of real property, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, when approved by 55% of the voters if: (a) the proceeds from the sale of the bonds are used only for the purposes specified, (b) the District, by evaluating safety, class size reduction, and information technology, has approved a list of specific projects to be funded, (c) the District will conduct an annual, independent performance audit, and (d) the District will conduct an annual, independent financial audit. If a bond measure is approved by 55% of the voters, state law requires the governing board of the District to establish an independent citizens' oversight committee. The District has made this ballot proposition subject to these requirements.

  Local News and Analysis

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FOR

AGAINST
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Arguments For Proposition S Arguments Against Proposition S
PROP. S MAKES URGENTLY NEEDED REPAIRS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
Most San Diego schools are 40+ years old. Prop. S repairs leaky roofs, frayed electrical wiring, leaky pipes and plumbing. Prop. S fixes school bathrooms, dangerous heating and electrical systems, broken steps, and cracked sidewalks. Prop. S replaces deteriorating portable classrooms.

PROP. S IMPROVES SAFETY FOR 130,000 SCHOOL CHILDREN AND 8,000 CLASSROOM TEACHERS.
Prop. S removes hazardous asbestos and mold, upgrades fire alarms/safety doors, fixes unsafe school drop-off and pick-up zones, makes schools disabled-accessible, improves air quality, energy efficiency and installs security systems to protect our children.

PROP. S PREPARES OUR CHILDREN FOR 21st CENTURY JOBS.
Prop. S. renovates and upgrades classrooms for Career/Vocational Programs that teach "real world" job skills. Prop. S wires every classroom and school for WiFI and the Internet, with technology upgrades for every school in every neighborhood.

PROP. S MAINTAINS THE CURRENT TAX RATE WITH NO INCREASE. Prop. S replaces an expiring bond with a new one, so our tax rate will not be increased.

IT'S THE LAW! ACCOUNTABILITY IS BUILT INTO PROP. S:

  • STRICT TAXPAYER SAFEGUARDS.
  • AN INDEPENDENT CITIZENS' OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
  • NO FUNDS FOR CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION. Bond money can only be spent on classrooms, buildings and schools.
  • ANNUAL, INDEPENDENT AUDITS.
  • A DETAILED PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PLAN SPELLS OUT EXACTLY WHAT PROP. S WILL ACCOMPLISH.

PROP. S + THE PLATINUM STANDARD FOR OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY.
Find every Prop. S repair and renovation project at your neighborhood school on-line: http://www.edforchildren.com/improvements.

PROP. S. WILL MAKE SAN DIEGO ELIGIBLE FOR STATE MATCHING FUNDS. We need to make these repairs now. It will only get more expensive if we wait.

San Diego City Schools earned two "Golden Watchdog" Awards
from the San Diego Taxpayers Association
for excellent fiscal management of their last bond.

YES ON PROPOSITION S
Repair and Revitalize Our Neighborhood Schools

JOHN L. KING
SDUSD Teacher of the Year

LINDA TAGGART
Principal of the Year

JOHN C. O'NEILL, Chairman

San Diego County Taxpayers Association

RAYMOND SANCHEZ
PTA President

BILL NEMEC, President
S.D. Police Officers Association

Rebuttal to Arguments For
The San Diego Unified School District is seeking to impose an additional property tax on the city's already overtaxed homeowners. In doing so the School District ignores developer subsidies such as those given to luxury high-rise condos in downtown San Diego. Homeowners are now being asked to backfill a funding deficit.

The District's argument speaks of leaky roofs, frayed wiring, leaky pipes and plumbing, dangerous heating and electrical systems, broken steps, cracked sidewalks, asbestos, mold, broken toilets and classrooms without air-conditioning. Far from justifying a tax hike, this suggests massive neglect of school property over the last decade, while property tax revenue soared by 255%.

The truth is that the District horribly mismanaged the 1998 Prop MM money. School enrollment has been steadily dropping. It will continue to drop until about 2013. The District should be consolidating schools and selling unneeded school properties. Instead they keep smaller schools open. They cut teachers but not bureaucracy.

They argue that: "Prop S maintains the current tax rate with no increase". Because the Prop 13 "rate" of 1% property tax has not changed since 1978 does not mean the actual property "tax" has not increased! They deliberately substituted the word "rate" for 'tax" in order to confuse the voters.

Prop S would fall most heavily on those who purchased homes in the last decade. The building industry is in favor of this new property tax because it would transfer a further $2.1 billion from homeowners to businesses. This is a massive transfer of wealth. Vote NO on Proposition S

PAT FLANNERY
Real Estate Broker
RICHARD RIDER
Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters
San Diego home owners pay among the highest real estate taxes in the nation. San Diego home prices soared over the last few years and local government reaped a tax windfall. Yet it is not enough. They would now add an extra $2.1 billion in school debt.

If you currently own a home valued at $500,000, Prop "S" would impose an additional $300 per year. This is on top of the base $5,000 tax (1% according to Prop 13) you already pay. And you are still paying off previous school debt. Something is wrong.

90% of downtown real estate taxes (over $100 million) are "diverted" to subsidize downtown developers. You are being asked to backfill this school funding hole. Your tax dollars were "diverted" from your children's education to so-called "redevelopment".

Home owners pay 78% of all property taxes collected in San Diego County. Condo owners alone pay more taxes than all the commercial owners in the County combined. Don't pay for your children's education twice. Vote "NO" on Prop "S".

TAXPAYERS FOR SHARING REDEVELOPMENT FUNDS WIITH SCHOOLS

PAT FLANNERY
Real Estate Broker
MARGARET KUYPER
Retired Educator

Rebuttal to Arguments Against
"The opposition is wrong. Prop. S will NOT raise our taxes. Proposition S bonds simply replace expiring Proposition MM bonds. Our taxes will NOT increase."

+ John O'Neill, Chairman
San Diego County Taxpayers Association

Prop. S. Strict Accountability and Taxpayer Safeguards.

  • Independent Annual Audits.
  • Independent Citizens Oversight Committee.
  • No money for administrators' salaries.
  • Repairs and renovations for every neighborhood school are on-line: (http://www.edforchildren.com/improvements).

Prop. S. Essential repairs and upgrades to improve health, safety and security of our neighborhood schools + with no tax increase.
In 1998, voters approved Prop. MM to begin repairs and renovations at 180+ neighborhood schools. MM was a tremendous success, delivering projects ahead of schedule and saving taxpayers $82 million through effective financial management. Prop. S continues repairs and revitalization of neighborhood schools begun under MM + without raising taxes.

Many neighborhood schools, built in the 50s and 60s, need basic repairs and upgrades for 21st Century learning.
Prop. S replaces obsolete fire protection systems; installs emergency communications to improve school safety; repairs roofs, outdated electrical, air conditioning, heating and plumbing; increases disabled accessibility; repairs restrooms; and increases technology in every neighborhood school.

If we don't pass Prop. S now, it will only cost more to make these repairs later. This is a good financial investment. Good schools raise home prices and prevent neighborhood deterioration.

"130,000 school children and 8,000 classroom teachers need Prop. S."

+ John L. King
SDUSD Teacher of the Year

YES ON PROPOSITION S
Repair and Revitalize Our Neighborhood Schools

RAYMOND SANCHEZ
PTA President

DONALD J. BRAUN
Chief of Police
San Diego City Schools

JOE CARTA
Real Estate Broker

RUBEN BARRALES
President & CEO

San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

JOHN L. KING
SDUSD Teacher of the Year

Tax Rate Statement
An election will be held in the San Diego Unified School District (the "District") on November 4, 2008, to authorize the sale of up to $2,100,000,000 in bonds of the District to finance school facilities as described in the proposition. If the bonds are approved, the District expects to sell the bonds in six series over time. Principal and interest on the bonds will be payable from the proceeds of tax levies made upon the taxable property in the District. The information presented in numbered paragraphs 1-3 below is provided in compliance with Sections 9400-9404 of the Elections Code of the State of California.

1. The best estimate of the tax which would be required to be levied 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 0.47 cents per $100 ($4.70 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2010-11.

2. The best estimate of the tax rate which would be required to be levied 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 2.07 cents per $100 ($20.70 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2020-21.

3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is 60 cents per $100 ($60.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2029-30 and each year thereafter until final maturity of the bonds.

The District intends to structure the proposed bonds so that the estimated combined tax rate needed to repay all of the District's bonds, including Proposition MM Bonds which rate is $66.70/$100,000 of assessed valuation in the 2007-08 fiscal year, will not increase as a result of the issuance of the proposed bonds.

Voters should note that the estimated tax rates are based on the ASSESSED VALUE of taxable property in the District as shown on the County's official tax rolls, not on the property's market value. Property owners should consult their own property tax bills to determine their property's assessed value and any applicable tax exemptions.

The foregoing information is based upon the District's projections and estimates. Approval of the ballot measure authorizes the issuance of bonds under certain conditions, and is not approval of a specific tax rate. The actual tax rates 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 and repayment structure of bonds sold, 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 and repayment structure of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on its need for construction funds and other factors, including the legal limitations on bonds approved by a 55% vote. 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.

STATEMENT REQUIRED BY EDUCATION CODE SECTION 15122.5
"Approval of Proposition S does not guarantee that the proposed project or projects in the San Diego Unified School District that are the subject of bonds under Proposition S will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by Proposition S. The District's proposal for the project or projects assumes the receipt of matching state funds, which could be subject to appropriation by the Legislature or approval of a statewide bond measure."


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Created: January 24, 2009 10:40 PST
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