Three South Bay school measures deserve support

Three Santa Clara County school districts are putting responsible measures before voters on the Nov. 6 ballot. Voters should approve Fremont Union High School District’s Measure CC, Evergreen Elementary School District’s Measure EE and Sunnyvale School District’s Measure GG.

In general, Fremont Union and Sunnyvale want to make infrastructure improvements to keep classrooms up to date, while Evergreen Elementary’s parcel tax is designed to maintain low class sizes and ensure funding for its music, arts and library programs.

All three of the school districts were reasonably good in complying with the new state law requiring that ballot language include the rate and duration of any new tax. The three school districts’ websites (Fremont Union High School, Evergreen School District and Sunnyvale School District) also include easy access to the costs property owners are paying for previous bond measures and parcel taxes.

Fremont Union

Measure CC would allow Fremont Union High School to issue $275 million in bonds, providing an estimated $17.5 million over 32 years. It requires 55 percent approval by voters.

The measure would cost property taxpayers a projected $16 per $100,000 of assessed value. Measure CC would add to previous tax payments for other bond measures that total $43 per $100,000 of assessed value that put it in the lower third of school districts in the county. Property owners also have an annual $98-per-parcel tax payment.

Fremont Union, which serves 11,000 students at Cupertino, Fremont, Homestead, Lynbrook and Monta Vista high schools, has experienced enrollment growth. The district has 400 classrooms that are more than 50 years old. They require roofing, flooring, technology and heating and energy efficiency updates that will ultimately cost the district even more in maintenance costs if they are not upgraded.

Evergreen Elementary

The district is asking voters to renew an existing $125 parcel tax for seven years, generating an estimated $3.1 million every year. The previous parcel tax, Measure H, is scheduled to expire in 2019. Voters gave the OK to that five-year, $100-perparcel tax in 2014 with 74 percent approval. Parcel taxes require twothirds approval by voters.

Evergreen Elementary serves 11,000 K-8 students in 18 schools in southeast San Jose.

The primary need in Evergreen is money to keep its music, arts and library programs in place. But the district is also seeking to keep its class sizes low. The current average is 24 per classroom. The district in September reached a new contract agreement with teachers after 16 months of negotiations. Part of the agreement says that if Measure EE passes, class sizes will remain the same. But if it fails, in year three of the teacher contract, classes may have to increase in size.

Sunnyvale

Measure GG seeks approval for the Sunnyvale School District to issue $100 million in bonds, which would provide an estimated $6 million every year for 32 years. Measure GG requires 55 percent approval by voters.

Property owners would pay $10 per $100,000 of assessed value. Sunnyvale property owners also pay $36.80 per $100,000 of assessed value for previous bond measures.

Sunnyvale School District serves 6,800 K-8 students in its six elementary schools and two middle schools.

The district plans to renovate Ellis Elementary School and Sunnyvale Middle School, build new classrooms to replace aging portable classrooms and replace air conditioning, heating and ventilation at its schools with more energy efficient systems.