SAN MARCOS — Could voters in the San Marcos Unified School District pass a new multi-hundred-million-dollar bond measure initiative in 2024? There’s a good possibility, a recent district bond feasibility study found.
At the district board’s Nov. 9 meeting, survey research firm True North Outreach said that in a recent survey of district voters, 60% of respondents said they would support a new bond measure of around $320 million in the next election.
Of the remaining respondents, 29% said they were opposed, and 11% said they were unsure.
With a bond requiring at least 55% voter approval in order to pass, this indicates that a new bond in the district would be feasible, True North President Tim McLarney said.
“A lot of the things that we want to see in place for a bond measure to have a reasonable chance of success, we see in place here,” McLarney said.
San Marcos Unified has been exploring the possibility of a new general obligation bond in order to fund hundreds of millions of dollars in needed updates to district facilities, including the replacement of portable classrooms and campus reconstruction.
Costs for needed facility modernization and updates are currently estimated at around $250 million to $425 million, according to the district.
“Our district has big, big facility needs. We have aging schools that could definitely use some updates,” Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Erin Garcia told the board on Nov. 2. “We are never going to be able to do large-scale projects with the funds that we have, other than with a general obligation bond. That’s the one that will bring the largest source of construction funds to the district.”
Woodland Park Middle School is the district’s highest-need school site, with a campus built back in 1975 that saw partial upgrades to its administration and library facilities in 2014. A full reconstruction of the school would likely cost just under $200 million.
Paloma and Knob Hill elementary schools are two other high-priority schools, both built over 30 years ago and currently housing the majority of their students in portables.
The district board still has several months to decide whether to place a bond measure on the November 2024 ballot, as well as what tax rate to implement. McLarney said the district could implement a rate of anywhere from $30 to $60 per $100,000 of assessed value but that a more affordable rate has a better chance of passing.
The district’s last authorized general obligation bond was the $287 million Proposition K in 2010, initially based on a tax rate of $44 per $100,000 of assessed value. This rate was increased during the third series of funds to $60 per $100,000.
Prop K projects included the rebuilds of San Marcos High School and Richland Elementary School, new buildings at La Mirada Academy, La Costa Meadows and San Marcos Middle School, new technology infrastructure and shade shelters at multiple schools.
McLarney noted that property owners will still be paying on Prop K for another 20 years, which could be a deterrent to the approval of another bond. There are also unknowns regarding inflation that could give some voters pause.
The most important thing, he said, will be for San Marcos Unified leaders to clearly communicate to voters why this bond is needed to improve the quality of education at district schools.
“You’ve got to put the work in and make sure your voters are well informed about needs in the district,” McLarney said.
San Marcos Unified also authorized a special tax district known as a community facilities district in 2020 to fund as much as $150 million in additional bonds.
If a new bond were passed, the district would be able to leverage these funds for additional dollars from the state to cover eligible projects, Garcia said. This would include renovations to buildings that are at least 25 years old and portables that are over 20 years old.
However, those state funds for projects often don’t come until years later in the form of reimbursements. The district is currently awaiting $18-$20 million in reimbursement funds from the state for the Richland Elementary rebuild completed earlier this year, Garcia said.
Facility improvement costs have also increased dramatically in the past two decades, leaders added. The construction of Mission Hills High School, which cost $73 million in 2004, would cost around $460 million now, said Executive Director of Facilities Tova Corman.
“In order to complete any of these large-scale projects, we really need a bond or some magic windfall of money to help us,” said district trustee Stacy Carlson.
The Vista Unified School District and Palomar College are also researching the possibility of placing a bond on the ballot in 2024.
