Elk Grove Unified Superintendent: How Measure N helps current and future students | Opinion
The Elk Grove Unified School District, the fifth largest district in California with close to 63,000 students, continues to grow. According to the district's updated Facilities Master Plan, the district has almost $1.98 billion in facilities needs over the next decade, including completing or expanding projects across the entire district, with several current regional projects in the Elk Grove, Florin, Laguna, Sheldon and Valley regions.
These projects will help our increasing demand for enrollment in Rancho Cordova and the Southeast area of Elk Grove. This November, Measure N will appear on residents' ballots, allowing voters to choose to update our existing infrastructure, fund the creation of new schools and ensure our students have the learning environment they need to be successful.
Measure N builds upon the successful Measure M, which voters approved in 2016 to fund various repair and modernization projects , such as the reconstruction of Franklin and Pleasant Grove Elementary Schools. Measure M allowed many projects to be completed, and, through meticulous management of resources and strong fiscal oversight, the district was able to complete projects and pay back the bond faster than the anticipated timeline.
Measure N is a general obligation bond that will raise approximately $542 million. Beyond accommodating growth, the measure will fund myriad vital projects district-wide — among them, the installation of new classroom technology integral to today's learning environments.
Elk Grove Unified is dedicated to equipping students with the skills they need in a world that is technologically driven. The bond measure will fund the modernization of facilities for career technical education pathways in health sciences, engineering and other trades.
This bond measure will also fund renovations, including much-needed repairs at the oldest schools in the district. The funds will be spent on updating aging infrastructure, enhancing student safety and security systems and replacing old, outdated portable buildings with new, permanent classrooms. These improvements will allow students to feel safe and provide them with a healthy learning environment.
While Measure M was successful, Elk Grove Unified has other ongoing needs that are largely unfunded. The estimated $1.98 billion worth of facilities needs over the next decade cannot be covered solely through state and federal government funding. Measure N provides the crucial difference needed to fill this gap and maintain the high standard of education available to all students within our district.
If the measure is approved by voters, Elk Grove Unified will implement a Citizen's Bond Oversight Committee to provide review and oversight to ensure that the bond funds are appropriately spent. This committee will have the responsibility of examining the flow of bond money to ensure that it is expended for the intended purposes and make certain that the district continues its longstanding tradition of transparency and accountability in managing the proceeds from bonds.
Measure N has an expected levy of 3.4 cents per $100 of assessed value. This means that the median Elk Grove Unified homeowner with a single-family home that has a taxable assessed value of $353,000 would pay $120.02 per year.
Though this represents some investment from the community, returns are huge. Improved facilities for education, enhanced safety and modernized classrooms for our students will lead to a better learning environment and, ultimately, a stronger community.
Measure N is a forward-looking investment for the students and community of Elk Grove Unified. Our district's goal is to continue to offer quality education for all students while taking care of current infrastructure needs and preparing for future growth. This is about each student's potential opportunity to learn, grow and succeed by having a safe and supportive learning environment.
Christopher Hoffman is superintendent of the Elk Grove Unified School District.
