Santa Clara County and Santa Cruz County residents living in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District will be asked to consider authorizing the issuance of $321 million in bonds in November’s general election to fund campus repairs and to modernize classrooms.

The bond question will appear as Measure N on both county ballots. It would generate an estimated $23 million a year for the two high schools in the district and would impose a property tax increase of $30 per $100,000 in assessed parcel value to repay the bonds.

The total cost of repayment, including interest, would be $690 million over roughly 30 years, according to Heath Rocha, superintendent of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District.

The district serves about 3,000 students at Los Gatos High School and Saratoga High School, according to the state Department of Education.

Supporters of the measure include Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak and former Los Gatos Mayor Sandy Decker.

They and others argue in the official ballot argument in favor of Measure N that the school district needs the money to repair leaky roofs and upgrade classrooms and labs with modern learning equipment.

“Los Gatos High School and Saratoga High School are central to our community’s identity,” the group of residents wrote to voters. “Our high schools are among the best in the state and nation and are the #1 driver of local property values. They are why many of us move here and stay.”

They said facility upgrades would cost more if they were deferred and argued the schools’ classrooms are not up to modern standards.

The district’s Board of Trustees has said the money will be used for energy system upgrades and to repair failing restrooms, plumbing systems and other facility upgrades.

Taxpayers group pushes back on bond

Opponents of the measure include the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association. The organization’s president, Mark Hinkle, wrote in the ballot argument that borrowing money through a bond measure would lead to deep interest costs. He also argues that a previous bond measure had already promised to fix the same supposedly deteriorating conditions.

“Budgets reflect priorities,” Hinkle wrote. “Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District is saying every educational dollar spent today is going to something they consider a higher priority than ‘fixing leaky roofs’ and ‘keeping schools clean and well-maintained’ and ‘technology’. Do you agree? The $99,000,000 bond voters approved in 2014 listed ‘replacing leaky and aging roofs’ that apparently need replacing again!”

Hinkle was referring to 2014’s Measure E, which passed with about 64% of the vote.

Measure N in this election would need 55% approval to pass.