Saratoga News

Editorial

Vote yes on Measure B for high school facilities

Every homeowner knows good maintenance is vital to the longevity of a house. But maintenance aside, a house can only stand for so long without an infusion of money for major repair work such as a new roof.

The same is true of schools.

For Saratoga and Los Gatos high schools, a major renovation is long overdue. Passage of Measure B on the June 2 ballot will provide the funding to make overhaul possible.

Since the passage of Proposition 13, school districts throughout the state have been unable to generate sufficient funds to both support a high level of instruction and fully maintain facilities.

The Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District has made quality education a priority, and test scores justify that strategy. But the facilities on both campuses have deteriorated badly.

With just $50,000 to $90,000 available each year for maintenance and deferred maintenance, staff has been challenged keeping one jump ahead of drips from leaky roofs.

Many of the improvements the $79 million bond measure will make possible are basic safety upgrades, including the addition of fire sprinklers, removal and abatement of asbestos and retrofitting for seismic safety. Also planned are replacement of deteriorated roofs and windows and renovation of heating, ventilation and plumbing systems.

Both schools need new classrooms to replace aging portables and accommodate projected enrollment increases, and science classrooms need to be modernized and increased. An 11-year construction plan based on a master plan targets safety measures and new science buildings on both campuses as top priorities.

A vote for Measure B is a sound investment. Property owners will pay an average of $35 per year for each $100,000 of assessed valuation. Bonds would be issued over 11 years; the repayment term for each series upon issuance is 25 years.

According to a survey by the district, the average home in the district has an assessed value of $356,956. The average annual tax for the owner of a home assessed at $357,000 would be $130 annually.

That seems a small price to pay to ensure that the facilities where the community's young people spend so much of their time will provide a safe and healthy environment conducive to learning. And a small investment for homeowners to maintain the value of their homes.

Without approval of Measure B, the high school district will have little choice but to begin allocating bigger portions of its annual budget to facilities--to the detriment of classroom instruction.

Although there's been no organized opposition to Measure B, passage requires a two-thirds majority. Every vote will matter.

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