Smart Voter
Santa Clara County, CA November 3, 1998 General
Measure G
Acquisition and improvement of real property
Morgan Hill Unified School District

Bonds

8,781 / 62.9% Yes votes ...... 5,179 / 37.1% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Infomation shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Tax Rate Statement |
In order to permit the Morgan Hill Unified School District to finance construction of a new high school, renovations to Live Oak High School, and construction of a new elementary school, shall the District be authorized to incur bonded indebtedness for the acquisition and improvement of real property for authorized school purposes, in the principal amount of $70,000,000, to bear interest at rates not exceeding the statutory maximum?
Impartial Analysis from the County Counsel
The California Constitution authorizes districts to issue bonded indebtedness for the purpose of the acquisition or improvement of real property through the imposition of Ad Valorem property taxes upon approval of two-thirds of the votes cast by voters in an election.

The Morgan Hill Unified School District proposes to issue bonds not to exceed $70 million with maturity not to exceed twenty-five years for bonds issued pursuant to Education Code section 15100 with annual interest within the legal limit. The bonds would be repaid through a property tax based upon the taxable value of real property and the improvements thereon.

A "yes" vote is a vote to authorize the issuance and sale of the general obligation bonds not to exceed the principal amount of $70,000,000.00. The funds derived from the sale of the bonds would be expended to finance construction of a new high school, renovations to Live Oak High School, and construction of a new elementary school.

A "no" vote is a vote not to authorize the issuance and sale of said bonds.

ANN MILLER RAVELBy: BRIAN L. CARR
County CounselDeputy County Counsel

 
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Arguments For Measure G Arguments Against Measure G
The children of Morgan Hill Unified School District need your YES vote for Measure G

Morgan Hill Unified School District continues to grow. Elementary and secondary schools are critically overcrowded.

  • Live Oak High School was built in 1974 for 1300 9th-12th grade students. This year over 2000 students in grades 10-12 are attending Live Oak!

  • Most of our elementary schools are designed for 400-500 students. This year three of Morgan Hill Unified's elementary schools have over 700 students.


Approval of Measure G will:

  • Build a much needed second high school to relieve critical overcrowding at Live Oak, and allow for the ninth graders to be moved to a high school site, an educational setting more appropriate for them. Moving the ninth graders will also relieve the overcrowding at our middle schools.

  • Upgrade Live Oak to enlarge undersized classrooms and renovate the library and science labs using current technology.

  • Build another elementary school to relieve overcrowding at the K-6 level. Additional classrooms are needed to expand the district's successful class-size reduction program and lower the enrollment at our elementary sites.

Students of Morgan Hill Unified School District deserve adequate facilities for their education. Measure G funds can only be used to build new schools and renovate existing schools. State law does not allow these funds to be used for any operating expenses. Measure G will NOT increase your taxes for schools. This measure will continue your current rate while providing our students with the classrooms, science labs & libraries necessary to take them into the 21st century.


Kids Count. Can They Count On You?
VOTE YES ON MEASURE G

JACK E. TODDGARY L. BERKLAND
Retired Teacher-Live Oak H.S.Pastor, Advent Lutheran Church

GENE GUGLIELMOWILLIAM H. BROWN, Esq.
Farmer/BusinessmanAttorney/CPA


LAURA A. PERRY, ESQ.
President, Gavilan Community College Board of Trustees

Rebuttal to Arguments Above
Before saddling ourselves and our children with a 25 year $70,000,000 plus interest bond, the following questions must be answered!

1. Why are they pushing this bond AGAIN? Are they afraid the current enrollment will decline because of the impact of private schools? Also, Measure B may end in 1999 with a $2,000,000 surplus!

2. What are the facts about capacity? The capacity figures in this district are constantly changing. From 1989 to 1995, the Morgan Hill Unified School District invested $39,000,000 in school facilities, including El Torro (capacity 641), yet the overall reported student capacity declined. Nordstrom's capacity alone dropped by 232. Live Oak, built for 1300 students, has been upgraded and current capacity is about 1900. Last year, this district rented surplus classrooms to the County.

3. Why do they keep us in the dark? Would they lose support if voters KNEW where the new high school was to be built? Who will go to this school? How will they staff and maintain new schools? Less costly options were not presented.

4. Will Morgan Hill Unified School District continue to grow and at what rate? We just don't know! This measure is premature. According to Santa Clara County's General Plan, NO urbanization of Coyote Valley is expected in the next 15 years. The rate of new homes being built in Morgan Hill will return to Measure P limits.

The district NOW has money to build an elementary school and enlarge Live Oak!!

It's not where, it's what and how you teach kids.


VOTE NO!


CAROL NEAL
Former Morgan Hill Unified School District Trustee - 1992-1996


KATHLEEN O'CONNELL-SUNDARAM
President, Santa Clara County Taxpayers Assoc.


GEORGE M. SWENSON
School Board Candidate

The Morgan Hill Unified School District says "Just trust us". Experience says NO. Consider these fact:

  • In 1991 you voted for a 10 year tax. Measure G will extend that tax another 25 years! New home owners have already paid about $15,000,000 for new facilities through school impact fees since 1989

  • 4 Years ago it was necessary to raise the bond rate 40% due to poor district financial projections.

  • While yearly enrollment growth has fluctuated, average growth has been low. A 1996 district report stated "Net growth has been slow, a trend which is projected to continue through the twelve year projection period of the master plan."

  • From 1981 to 1995 over 4,000 new homes were built; enrollment increased by only 383 students.

  • From 1991 to 1995 enrollment rose by 51. Last year high school enrollment was lower than the years 1984 -1987.

  • New private schools are opening, with more on the way. This means even lower enrollment.

  • Live Oak is NOT overcrowded.

  • The district has about $10,000,000 in funds for new facilities.

  • High schools are the most costly to build. Other options include:

  • Enlarge and remodel Live Oak

  • Expand the high school day

  • Year-round school

  • Use Britton as a high school and build a 6-8 middle school all without a $70,000,000 bond.

  • High schools are costly to operate Measure G provides no money for the operational costs which will exceed $1,000,000. Existing programs will lose funds if this measure passes.

  • Once again - no details! Where will the schools be and which school will your kids attend?

Not ONE PENNY of this bond will go to correcting the real problems in our schools:

  • Poor discipline

  • Poor curriculum

  • Poor test scores

  • Riots, drugs, and alcohol!!

  • Disregard for parental concerns

  • Lack of accountability


Vote NO on Measure G

KATHLEEN O'CONNELL-SUNDARAMCAROL NEAL
President, Santa Clara County Taxpayers AssociationFormer School Board Member 1992-1996

GEORGE SWENSONHARRY PETERSEN
School Board Candidate,Live Oak Math Teacher, 1996-1998

President-Advocates for a Better Education

Rebuttal to Arguments Above
New classrooms and smaller class sizes can only lead to a better educational environment for our kids.


The FACTS are simple:

  • 1975 - Live Oak High School opened for 1,500 (9-12) grade students.

  • 1978 - Live Oak High School went on double sessions due to overcrowding with 2,228 (9-12)grade students.

  • 1979 - Ninth graders from Live Oak were moved to the middle schools as a "temporary solution" to the overcrowding at the high school.

  • 1998/99 - 2,076 (10-12 grade) students enrolled at Live Oak High School

  • - 1,278 (7-9 grade) students enrolled Britton Middle School

  • - 1,003 (7-9 grade) students enrolled Martin Murphy Middle School, which was built for 810 (7-8 grade) students.

A YES vote on Measure G will provide the funds necessary to build a critically needed new high school, renovate Live Oak and build an elementary school. A YES Vote on Measure G will support smaller schools to address all the needs of our students. Detailed plans for all the projects are available at every school site. Don't believe false statements being made, read the facts. You decide is 2,076 students at Live Oak overcrowded?
KIDS COUNT. CAN THEY COUNT ON YOU?


Vote YES on Measure G

JOHN L. VARELASANDRA G. SNIVELY
President, Morgan Hill Youth Sports AllianceTeacher

MICHAEL F. BROOKMANJULIE ZINTSMASTER
Police OfficerFormer School Board Trustee


LORENZA C. ESCOBAR
Youth Coordinator

Tax Rate Statement
An election will be held in the Morgan Hill Unified School District (the "District") of Santa Clara County on November 3, 1998, for the purpose of authorizing the sale of $70,000,000 in general obligation bonds. The bonds would be payable from tax levies made upon the taxable property in the District.

The following information regarding tax rates is given to comply with Section 9400 to 9404 of the Elections Code. The best estimate of the tax rates which would be required to be levied to fund the bond issue and an estimate of the year in which such rates would apply, based on a projection of assessed valuation based on information presently available from official sources, upon experience within the District, and other demonstrable factors, expressed as a rate per $100 of assessed valuation, is as follows:

1. First year of levy after the first sale of the bonds (2000-01)7.9 cents

2. First year after sale of the last series of the bonds (2001-02)8.8 cents

3. Highest annual rate during the entire period of indebtedness (2002-03)9.6 cents

These estimates would result in an average annual tax rate over the life of the bonds of 7.1 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The taxes estimated above would not increase the tax rate currently levied by the District on taxable property.

The actual tax rates and the years in which such rates are applicable may vary from those currently estimated, due to variations from the official projections and estimates in the timing of bond sales, the amount of bonds sold at any time, the interest rates on the bonds, and the assessed values in the several future years during which the bonds are to be repaid. The estimates are based upon projections and are not binding upon the District. The actual timing of the bond sales and the amount of the bonds sold at any time will be governed by the needs of the District and the then-applicable debt limit. The actual interest rates on the bonds will be based on the market tax-exempt interest rates at the time of the sale of the bonds. The actual assessed values during the several future years will depend upon the amount of taxable property within the District and the value of that property as determined in the assessment and equalization process.


Dated:August 4, 1998

CAROLYN MCKENNAN


Superintendent


Morgan Hill Unified School District

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Created: February 16, 1999 18:55
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