On a crowded November General Election ballot, there are two local school bonds, U and V, which will be discussed during the second “Use Your Voice” forum on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Hollister City Council Chambers, 375 Fifth St.
BenitoLink and the San Benito County Farm Bureau are co-sponsoring the forum and media partner CMAP-TV will be broadcasting the forum live on BenitoLink’s homepage and on cable Channel 17.
Measure U
First proposed on July 26 and approved by the board of trustees on Aug. 2, the $60 million bond sets out to make major improvements to San Benito High School. The bond includes upgrades to science classrooms and labs to provide job and career readiness programs and to prepare students for college, repairs to old plumbing and outdated electrical systems, improvements to school access for students with disabilities, removal of asbestos, lead paint and other hazardous materials throughout campus buildings, additional classrooms to address overcrowding and continued growth and to seismically retrofit buildings for earthquake safety
At the July 26 meeting, board member Juan Robledo asked his fellow board members, “Can we afford not to do it?,” after President Ray Rodriguez raised some concern over proposing a bond two years after the passage of Measure G, a $42.5 million bond.
“I mean, this high school is the biggest act in town and the biggest high school in the county. We have structures that need to be repaired. The poll said 61 percent would vote for it, you know I’d like to think that that’s true,” he said at the time, referring to a poll conducted by Amanda Sintes of TBWB Strategies, showing voters in favor of the bond.
The measure will need 55 percent of the vote to pass. If it is approved,a citizen oversight committee will be appointed and will make annual audits to help distribute the funds accordingly. The bond would costs homeowners $30 per $100,000 of assessed value — not market value — per year.
Dr. Katherine Foster, president of the San Benito High School Teachers Association, said the bond is needed, as facilities at the county’s largest school are run down and out of date, but she is aware that, “the trust between the community and the school has been lost.”
Superintendent John Perales said, “This bond measure is absolutely critical to our continued success. We have been very good stewards of our bond monies from Measure G and have much to show for it. Measure U will allow us to account for continued student growth and the many desperate needs we face in various areas i.e. the sciences, special education, social studies and the arts. As we have increased our academic rigor, the needs for updated facilities have come to light. We must have the appropriate facilities in order to continue our academic gains and high expectations for all our students.”
To find more information about Measure U click here for the bond specifics and here for the website advocating for its passage.
Measure V
The Hollister High School District will be going after Bond Measure V this election season. The $36 million bond is designed help to improve conditions, reduce classroom overcrowding, accommodate growing student enrollment in all elementary and middle schools, keep neighborhood schools small and well-maintained by building a new school, improve school safety, security and technology, maximize energy efficiency, and acquiring, constructing or equipping classrooms, facilities and sites.
Lisa Andrew, superintendent of the Hollister School District, said, “as our community grows, so does the Hollister School District’s need for a new school to educate new students that will reside within the district. Measure V will help to fund the construction of a new 900-plus student elementary/middle school to keep class sizes optimal and prevent overcrowding. This new school could also be part of a larger community use project with San Benito County,” she added.
The bond will provide accountability through an independent citizens’ oversight committee whose goal is to ensure the funds are being spent on school construction projects.
The bond would cost homeowners approximately $28 per $100,000 of assessed value per year.
“Measure V and Proposition 51 are investments in our local community and will provide local construction jobs,” said Andrew, referring to a state facilities bond that would allow districts to apply for state matching funds. “If approved by the voters, the grant will help to fund improvements in student nutrition throughout the district, improvements in technology for all students, provides access for people with disabilities at all school sites, increased school safety and security at all school sites, and will provide energy efficiency at all school sites.”
For more information on Measure V, click here.
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