Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

On Cheng, with her three-year-old daughter, Ariel, stuffs envelopes with others in the Measure D office.

Citizens for Saratoga Schools launch a drive for bond issue

By Torre Peña

Buffeted by an enthusiastic bond rally supporting Measure D on March 6, Citizens for Saratoga Schools volunteers were busy last week preparing their campaign headquarters in donated space at the Argonaut Shopping Center.

A yes vote on Measure D, the $40 million bond issue going before voters on the June 3 ballot, would provide funds for school repairs, renovations and facility upgrades for elementary schools in the Saratoga Union School District. Construction of new classrooms would also alleviate overcrowding.

Orchestrating the placement of donated furniture and a bank of 20 phones at campaign headquarters, area coordinator Marcy Burns said that no opposition to the bond has surfaced yet.

"I think it's the community's gift to children," Burns said. "Who would be opposed to schools for kids?"

Although every few years fresh paint has been slapped on the schools' facades, conditions within the walls are different.

Ranging from 40 to 70 years old, the four elementary schools have not undergone major renovations since they were built. The list of neglected repairs includes leaky roofs, faulty electrical and heating systems, corroded piping, sewer backup, asbestos removal, loose flooring and seismic upgrades.

Repairs and renovations address health and safety needs, Burns said. "We've established excellent schools; now it's time to house these children with good facilities," she added.

Citizens for Saratoga Schools hopes to enlist residents concerned about the deteriorating condition of schools to add to their strong base of parental support. During the phone campaign, volunteers will disseminate information about the issue and gauge public support for the bond, according to SUSD board member Cindy Ruby, who volunteered to do public relations for the campaign.

Only 13 percent of the electorate in Saratoga are parents with children in SUSD. Since the measure needs a two-thirds majority to pass, Ruby pointed out that one challenge the campaign faces is reaching out to the rest of the voting public.

And the message is different from the one used in campaigns to pass parcel taxes to fund schools that Saratogans voted down in 1991 and 1992.

"There was some money in the parcel taxes for repairs, but they were more program-oriented," Ruby said. The ballot language specifies that Measure D funds will be used specifically for facilities, not for administration or teacher salaries.

Citizens for Saratoga Schools hopes to raise $75,000 to fund the Yes on D campaign, according to SUSD board member Peggy Koen. The money covers the cost of a campaign consultant, Tramutola Company, mass mailings and overhead.

An informational meeting targeting parents will be held at campaign headquarters on March 31. The public can drop by the office at 12900 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. or call the campaign hotline at 872-9373 for information.