fresno elections 2008

STONE CORRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT
FULL TEXT OF MEASURE F

This proposition may be known and referred to as the Stone Corral Elementary School District 2008 School Improvement Bond or Measure F.

FINDINGS
The Stone Corral Elementary School District (the “District), which serves portions of unincorporated Tulare County, is a recognized leader in providing top quality education to Tulare County students.

The achievements have been accrued by the District as a result of the long history of visionary leadership from the Board of Trustees of the District (the “Board”), as well as from staff members, parents, and members of the District communities. During its long history, the District has benefited from a community that supports its educational institutions by establishing high standards for academic achievement and the arts while at the same time providing the means required to meet and even to surpass those expectations.

In order to provide our local students with the same classrooms and school facilities as other California school districts, major repairs, upgrades, and new classroom construction are necessary to ensure these buildings will remain functional for future generations.

The Board has prepared a facilities plan and identified significant repairs, upgrades, and classroom construction needs due to aging facilities as well as increased enrollment that are more than the District is able to fund from currently available sources or annual revenues.

The District has sought, and continues to seek, all available outside sources of funding to improve our school buildings, including local, state, and federal grants and state bond funds. It is necessary to seek voter approval of a bond measure in order to provide the local funding for identified school facility repairs, modernization projects, and growth needs to address student enrollment.

BOND AUTHORIZATION

By approval of this proposition by at least 55 percent of the registered voters voting on the proposition, the District shall be authorized to issue and sell bonds of up to $715,000 in principal at interest rates below the legal limit, to provide financing for the specific school facilities projects listed in the Bond Project List attached hereto as Exhibit A-1, subject to all the accountability requirements specified below.

BOND PROJECT LIST

The Bond Project List attached to this resolution as Exhibit A-1 shall be considered a part of the ballot proposition and shall be reproduced in any official document required to contain the full statement of the bond proposition.

Approval of this Bond Measure (the "Measure") does not guarantee that the proposed project or projects in the District that are the subject of bonds under the Measure will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by the Measure. If state matching funds become available, they will be used for and applied to the Bond Project List as per Exhibit A-1. 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.

ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS

The provisions in this section are specifically included in this proposition in order that the voters and taxpayers in the District may be assured that their money will be spent wisely to address specific facilities needs of the District all in compliance with the requirements of Article XIIIA, Section 1(b)(3), of the State Constitution and the Strict Accountability in Local School Construction Bonds Act of 2000 (codified at Education Code Sections 15264 and following.)

Evaluation of Needs. The Board, after a year long process involving staff members, parents, students, and community members at each school site throughout the District, has prepared an updated facilities plan in order to evaluate and address all of the facilities needs of the District and determine which projects to finance from a local bond at this time. The Board hereby certifies that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction, enrollment growth, and information technology needs in developing the Bond Project List contained in Exhibit A-1.

Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee. The Board shall establish an Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee pursuant to Education Code Section 15278 and following to ensure bond proceeds are expended only on the school facilities projects listed in Exhibit A-1. The committee shall be established within 60 days of the date when the results of the election appear in the minutes of the Board.

Performance Audits. The Board shall conduct an annual, independent performance audit to ensure that the bond proceeds have been expanded only on the school facilities projects listed in Exhibit A-1.

Financial Audits. The Board shall conduct an annual, independent financial audit of the bond proceeds until all of those proceeds have been spent for the school facilities projects listed in Exhibit A-1.

Special Bond Proceeds Account: Annual Report to Board. Upon approval of this proposition and the sale of any bonds approved, the Board shall take actions necessary to establish an account in which proceeds of the sale of bonds will be deposited. As long as any proceeds of the bonds remain unexpended, the Superintendent of the District shall cause a report to be filed with the Board annually, stating (1) the amount of bond proceeds received and expended in that year, and (2) the status of any project funded or to be funded from bond proceeds. The report may relate to the calendar year, fiscal year, or other appropriate annual period as the Superintendent shall determine and may be incorporated in the annual budget, audit, or another appropriate routine report to the Board.

FURTHER SPECIFICATIONS

No Administrator Salaries. Proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this proposition shall be used only for the construction, reconstruction and/or rehabilitation of school facilities including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities or acquisition or lease of real property for school facilities and construction management by district personnel and not for any other purpose, including teacher and administrator salaries and other school operating expenses.

The proceeds of the bonds will be deposited into a Building Fund to be held by the Tulare County Treasurer, as required by the California Education Code.

EXHIBIT A-1
BOND PROJECT LIST

The District intends to complete the following projects, using a combination of funding sources. It is anticipated that bond proceeds will contribute $715,000 to said total cost. Other anticipated sources include state aid matching funds, developer fees and other available funds. The specific school facilities projects to be funded are set forth below:

Safety and Security:
· Make Safety improvements by reconfiguring fencing-gates-walls & doors to restrict and control entry to the campus during school hours and prevent vandalism afterschool.
· Addition of security cameras, electrically actuated locks to control vandalism, and enhance the safety of the students and faculty.

Classroom Technology:
· Renovate classrooms to include wiring/controls for new/future technology.
· Install instructional computerized audio and visual systems.
· Install electronic teaching walls with active/smart dry-erase boards
· Upgrade storage systems or add additional storage systems including the replacement of classrooms sinks and base cabinets to comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act – ADA
· Install new flooring, window coverings; Install low noise fiberboard coverings and paint interiors

Facility (maintenance, modernization, and/or upgrade):
· Upgrade roofing system, repair/replace decayed elements of roofing system
· Repair exterior walls / stucco & paint
· Replacement or installation of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems where either deficient, or non-existent
· Enhance exterior of portable buildings to conform visually to permanent structures
· Restroom Upgrades: upgrade and modification of ALL restrooms to comply with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act – ADA
· Replacement of doors and mechanisms (energy conservation/Safety and Security)
· Replacement of window systems (energy conservation & Safety and Security)
· Electrical / Lighting: Upgrading the main service or expanding existing service to support increased technology needs, or to repair existing deficiencies. Upgrade burglar/fire alarms to comply with current code and state safety standards
· Upgrade Garage to shelter new bus

Communication:
· Add telephone handsets at all classrooms, including connection to or addition of intercom capabilities, and expansion of telephone switchgear to support the expanded system
· Install a bell system
· Upgrade Energy Management System to control energy consumption.

New Construction – Gymnasium:
· Use bond money as a match to bring in additional hardship funds to expand the State funded gymnasium, to equip the gymnasium and expand planned building with student lockers, restrooms, & showers, and staff facilities.

Grounds / Playfields:
· Resurfacing, grooming, or expansion of playfields to serve the physical education and recreational needs of the campus - this may include replacement of damaged or non-compliant playground equipment.
· Develop a K-2 play area (resurfacing and equipment); Repair or resurfacing of existing hard court play areas.
· Replace grass, augment soil to reduce water needs and maintenance costs, Replace field and ground irrigation/water system.

IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS BY COUNTY COUNSEL
MEASURE F

Section 1 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution and Education Code section 15266 et seq. authorize an election to increase ad valorem real property taxes to pay bonded indebtedness for construction, rehabilitation, or replacement of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, if approved by 55 percent of qualified electors.

If this measure is approved, the Stone Corral Elementary School District (“District”) will be authorized to incur debt by issuing general obligation bonds to provide financing for a detailed list of projects in the following categories: safety and security projects; classroom technology projects; facility maintenance, modernization, and upgrade projects; communication projects; a gymnasium project; and projects to upgrade grounds and playfields. The District may only use the funding for this specific list of projects. The District’s board has certified that it has evaluated safety, class size reduction, and information technology needs in developing this list. The District’s board has also certified that it will use the funding only for these purposes and not for any other purpose, including teacher or administrator salaries or other school operating expenses.

If the measure is approved, the District will be authorized to increase ad valorem taxes on property located within the District’s boundaries to pay the bond principal, interest and associated costs. The maximum principal amount of the proposed bonds will not exceed Seven Hundred Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($715,000). The bonds cannot bear interest at a rate above the maximum limit. The interest rate will be established at the time of sale and will depend on the market rates at that time, but will not exceed twelve percent (12%). The exact effect on tax rates cannot be determined until after the bonds are sold. Pursuant to Government Code section 53508(f), the maximum duration of the bonds cannot exceed 40 years from the date of the bonds.

An independent Citizen’s Oversight Committee will actively review expenditure of bond revenues. An independent financial audit of the proceeds, and an independent performance audit of the specific projects will be performed annually. An annual report will be prepared, indicating the amount of funds collected and expended, and the status of any project listed in the measure.

This bond makes no change to existing law. Electors entitled to vote on this measure are the registered voters within the boundaries of the District. If the measure is not approved by at least 55 percent of the votes cast, the measure will fail and the bonds will not be issued.

KATHLEEN BALES-LANGE
Tulare County Counsel
s/ Barbara Booth Grunwald
Deputy County Counsel

TAX RATE STATEMENT
MEASURE F

An election will be held in the Stone Corral Elementary School District (the “District”) on June 3, 2008 to authorize the sale of up to $715,000 in bonds of the District to finance school facilities as described in the Measure. Principal and interest on the bonds will be payable from the proceeds of tax levies made upon the taxable property in the District. The following information 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 and last series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is 3.000 cents per $100 ($30.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2009-10. The bonds are expected to be sold in one series.

2. 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 3.000 cents per $100 ($30.00 per $100,000) of assessed valuation.

Voters should note that the estimated tax rates are based on the ASSESSED VALUE of taxable property 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.

Attention of all voters is directed to the fact that the foregoing information is based upon the District’s projections and estimates only, which are not binding upon the District. 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 of bonds sold and 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 of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on the need for construction funds and other factors. 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.

Dated: February 15, 2008
Dr. Robert Aguilar, Superintendent
Stone Corral Elementary School District