STEM building tops BUHSD wish list in Measure C

BRAWLEY — The Brawley Union High School District hopes voters in Nov. 6’s general election will allow it to check off several items on its wish list by passing an $18.7 million general obligation bond request known as Measure C.

Topping the district’s needs list is construction of a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math building, said district Superintendent Simon Canalez.

“The construction of a STEM building would allow students of BUHSD to compete locally, nationally and globally in a field that is growing exponentially,” he said. “According to 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics (data), seven of the 10 fastest-growing occupations in California are in STEM fields.”

Other priorities specified in the bond are

• Replacing outdated heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems;

• Repairing or replacing leaky roofs;

• Making health, safety and security improvements;

• Upgrading inadequate electrical systems;

• Modernizing outdated classrooms, restrooms and school facilities;

• Improving student access to computers and modern technology;

• Upgrading deteriorating plumbing and sewer systems;

• Constructing additional classrooms to reduce student overcrowding;

• Replacing aging temporary portable classrooms with permanent classrooms;

• Making energy-efficiency improvements, including installing additional solar panels;

• Upgrading physical education fields and facilities for school and community use;

• Constructing an agricultural greenhouse. According to a fact sheet issued by the district on Measure C, new construction last took place on the Brawley Union High School campus following the passage of Measure T in 1998. Some of the current buildings on campus date back to the 1920s.

“The continuous deterioration of the district’s facilities and equipment drastically limits our students’ educational opportunities and ability to compete in a modern-day workforce or college environment,” the fact sheet said.

Although the school district has spent more than $4 million to upgrade and maintain its facilities over the past five years, it said the scope of improvements need far exceed the funding sources currently available.

“The per-pupil funding the district receives from the state is intended to be used for the day-to-day business of education children and not for the cost of renovating, repairing and constructing new facilities for the district,” the fact sheet said.

If Measure C passes, acquiring additional state funding seems likely. In 2016, California voters passed Proposition 51, which authorized $9 billion in bonds to fund construction of K-12 and community college facilities. According to BUHSD, the state traditionally will match up to 50 percent on new construction projects and 60 percent on modernization projects.

General obligation bonds such as those that would be issued under Measure C are typically repaid over 25 to 30 years, the district said. The loan repayment comes from a tax on all taxable property — residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial — within the district’s boundaries.

The tax rate per property owner is estimated to be $30 per $100,000 of assessed value per year. For a homeowner whose property is assessed at $200,000, that would work out to $60 per year, or $5 per month.

All bond funds must be spent locally and cannot be taken by the state. The district said an independent citizen’s oversight committee will be established to ensure bond funds are spent properly.

No bond money can be used for teacher or administrative salaries.

At this point, public sentiment regarding Measure C seems positive.

“Initial survey results of community members last spring show a significant majority of voters are in favor of Measure C,” Canalez said.

Searches on the web and social media seem to bear this out. Imperial Valley Press found very little discussion of the ballot measure online, and what was found was positive.

“I am voting yes on Measure C,” said one self-identified Brawley community member on Facebook. “Love the potential plans for our new STEM building.”

The post had 49 likes and no negative responses.