Voter Guide 2004: High-school district goes to the well once more Voter Guide 2004: High-school district goes to the well once more (October 13, 2004)

Woodside, M-A high schools -- and charter schools -- would reap millions.

By David Boyce
Almanac Staff Writer

On November 2, voters will decide the fate of Measure H, which would provide the Sequoia Union High School District with $70 million to improve the buildings and campuses of the district's schools, which include Woodside and Menlo-Atherton high schools and Summit Prep and East Palo Alto charter high schools.

The measure would extend for another 10 years the tax rate that property owners now pay for two earlier construction bonds -- $45 million from Measure V in 1996 and $88 million from Measure G in 2001 -- rather than letting the payments decline, as they otherwise would.

Property owners now pay about $24 a year for every $100,000 in assessed value. Instead of declining to about $19.50 in the current fiscal year and declining further in following years, that tax rate would stay put through approximately 2014 before starting down.

The earlier bond measures commit property owners to pay a total over 28 years of about $383 per $100,000 of assessed value, district financial advisers said. Measure H would add a total over the 28 years of an estimated $167 per $100,000.

The total bill for all taxpayers in the district is estimated at $126 million over 35 years, including interest and principal.

Measure H meets the requirements of state Proposition 39, which allows passage with the approval of 55 percent of the voters instead of two-thirds. Proposition 39 requires districts to: say up front how the money will be used; carefully monitor spending; and share facilities with charter schools, if asked.

Why now?

The measure is on the November ballot because waiting a year could reduce the bond issues from $70 million to $55 million, the financial advisers said.

"The schools were so run down (initially) and now we have some new situations in need of attention," said Sequoia superintendent Patrick Gemma in explaining the need for a third bond measure in eight years. This bond would complete the effort, the measure's supporters have said.

The district's enrollment rose by more than 1,000 students in the last four years and is likely to continue rising, Mr. Gemma said, with extra room at a premium on three of the district's four comprehensive campuses.

Spending the money

Much has been spent since 1996 at the district's four comprehensive high schools, most at the discretion of the schools. This time, the district would reserve funds for specific purposes, such as $4 million to install photovoltaic panels at the schools, $4 million to upgrade roads and utilities, and $1 million for energy-efficient vehicles.

Other funds include $6 million for Woodside High to upgrade existing classrooms, and $8 million for Menlo-Atherton, part of which could fund a performing arts center. The city of Menlo Park may share in the funding and then share in the center's use.

Charter schools have a higher profile this time. Unlike Measure G in 2001 -- in which they weren't mentioned -- this year's Measure H earmarks about $9 million to construct charter school buildings: $6 million for East Palo Alto High School, and $3 million for Summit Preparatory High School in Redwood City.

The district would also refurbish its adult school, which enrolls some 8,000 students, most of whom are studying English as a second language. The measure sets aside $9 million to either rebuild the headquarters on Middlefield Road in Redwood City or remodel it and construct a second building, perhaps in East Palo Alto, Mr. Gemma said.

The school has satellite locations throughout the district, but the headquarters needs more than 10 classrooms, Mr. Gemma said. "They're just climbing over each other trying to learn English and attend classes," he said. "It's almost tragic."

In opposition

In the voter information guide, opponents of Measure H -- most of whom are members of the county's Libertarian party -- note that the district can't guarantee that the tax rate will stay flat because the county independently determines the rate property owners will pay.

Don Gielow, the official overseeing Sequoia's capital improvement program, acknowledged the county's authority in setting the tax rate, but said that if there is pressure -- due to high interest rates or slow growth in property values -- to raise the rate above its current level, the district would reduce that pressure by delaying the selling of that series of bonds.

The district plans to sell four series of bonds over an eight-year period, Mr. Gielow said.

Opponents also argue that the estimate that a steady tax rate over 10 years can produce the projected revenue is based on an assumption that assessed property values will continue to rise. Mr. Gielow has acknowledged that assumption, but noted that the district is projecting a conservative growth in property values of 3 percent per year.

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