Three school districts in Monterey County will ask voters this November to approve issuing bonds to fund school services and maintenance, while another will seek to raise money through a parcel tax increase.
Carmel Unified School District, North Monterey County Unified School District, and the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District — which includes parts of San Luis Obispo County — are all seeking to issue bonds that would be paid back by adding a tax based on a property’s assessed value, known as an “ad valorem” tax.
Pacific Grove parcel tax
The Pacific Grove Unified School District, meanwhile, will seek to fund its school measure by adding a parcel tax of $85 per property for five years.
Both are methods commonly used to raise money by school districts. One of the main differences is the interest that is incurred when bonds are paid back over time, which taxing property upfront avoids.
That cost will likely increase from previous projections based on the Federal Reserve’s decision this month to raise interest rates by 0.25%. With the districts proposing tens of millions of dollars’ worth of bonds, the difference could be sizable over the 20-year payback period.
The Pacific Grove measure, which will appear as Measure K on ballots for residents in the district, would raise about $800,000 per year, according to the measure’s supporters.
The money would be held in an independent account and used to fund reading and math programs, disability services, afterschool programs, and mental health counseling, according to the measure’s backers, who include Mayor Pro Tem Joe Amelio.
It would require two-thirds of voter approval to pass.
The measures in the three districts that are seeking to raise money through bond sales would each require 55% of votes cast to pass.
North Monterey County bond
North Monterey County Unified School District is proposing to issue $40 million worth of bonds to fund infrastructure and structural repairs at schools — including HVAC fixes and modernizing classrooms — and bring facilities in line with building and heath codes by removing asbestos and lead pipes and repairing aging roofs.
The district would levy a tax of $32 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value to pay back the sum over 20 years. The total cost would be $74.5 million, including the interest.
Paso Robles bond
Paso Robles Unified School District is proposing Measure G-26, which would authorize the district to issue $205 million in bonds. The money would fund the expansion and renovation of classrooms and vocational training facilities, including repairing roofs and HVAC systems, according to its backers.
Opponents who filed a written ballot argument against the measure include a former Paso Robles Unified School District trustee, Dorian Baker, and a current candidate for the board, Tom Apkarian. They argued new expenditures should prioritize curriculum and student achievement rather than facility improvements.
Supporters said in their argument that the money is needed to update old electrical systems, plumbing, heating, and other critical outdated building functions. The measure would also fund the renovation of older classrooms.
The measure would raise about $12.2 million annually by imposing a roughly $50 tax per $100,000 in property value through the 2057-58 fiscal year. The total cost, including interest, was projected to be about $378 million.
Carmel Unified bond
Carmel Unified School District is proposing a similar bond for residents in its borders that would authorize $250 million in bonds that would raise an estimated $17.7 million a year.
Measure I would levy a $36 tax per $100,000 in property value starting in fiscal year 2033-34, through fiscal year 2053-54.
That measure would also pay for fixing roofs and sewer systems, classroom updates and other facilities fixes. The total repayment cost would be about $482 million, according to the district.