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Schools

Measure N Passes

San Juan Unified School District's $350 million bond measure won 58.34 percent of the votes

Aging schools in San Juan Unified School District will get much-needed repairs and renovations thanks to voters who approved a $350 million bond measure Tuesday night.

With all 274 precincts reporting, 58.34 percent of the voters cast their ballots in favor of Measure N, which will raise property taxes by approximately $60 per $100,000 of assessed valuation to pay for repairing and renovating aging schools in the nearly 100 year-old district.

“We’re all pleased that the San Juan community has recognized the importance of investing in our schools,” San Juan Trustee Larry Miles said earlier in the evening.

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Measure N, which needed a 55 percent majority to pass, will fund projects such as:

  • Modernizing classrooms and portable buildings
  • Improving infrastructure for new technology
  • Renovating and constructing outdoor learning facilities
  • Installing energy efficient equipment
  • Repairing and upgrading safety alarms at schools

 

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On some campuses, including 70 year-old Sylvan Middle School in Citrus Heights, Measure N would also help pay for basic fixes like replacing old rooftops and upgrading water and sewer lines.

Measure N supporters say the bond money will allow the district to take advantage of low interest rates and a competitive bid market for construction projects.

Opponents, however, argued that raising taxes is not a good idea in a struggling economy, where people are losing their jobs and homes.

“We’ll see what happens, but my concern is for the students and what the money is used for,” Measure N opponent Karen Klinger said. “… There should be a grand jury investigation to see why these school districts continually come after the people who own property.

“These are terrible economic times. Families are having a tough time putting food on the table and keeping their homes, and now they have another tax.”

San Juan voters have a history of supporting school bonds, passing two earlier measures in 1998 and 2002.

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