Saratoga News

Vote yes on Measure D

Nestled at the foot of the the Santa Cruz Mountains, Saratoga is a desirable place to live. Families with the means line up to buy property in Saratoga. And Saratoga real estate companies entice potential buyers, boasting of excellent schools in their ads. Their claims are well founded. The Saratoga Union School District has excellent schools.

But there is something wrong with this picture. The elementary school facilities housing the town's children don't fit Saratoga's image. Despite residents earning the highest income among West Valley cities, Saratoga is the only one of these cities that hasn't recently passed a bond or parcel tax for its schools.

Ranging from 40 to 70 years old, the four schools in SUSD are falling apart. There have been no major renovations since the schools were built, and the antiquated infrastructure is bursting at the seams. The list of neglected repairs includes leaky roofs, faulty electrical and heating systems, sewer backup, asbestos removal, loose flooring, defective plumbing and seismic upgrades.

School buildings, just like houses, need to be maintained.

Few businesses would operate smoothly in the conditions that Saratoga's children are expected to perform in.

This winter, children shivered in unheated classrooms. A faulty heating system at Saratoga Elementary School kept classrooms below 60 degrees until 11 a.m. during the month of January. At Argonaut Elementary, heating problems caused students to keep their sweaters and jackets on while portable heating systems were brought into classrooms. Leaking roofs have also contributed to the loss of computer equipment. Inadequate plumbing has caused toilets to overflow. And the smell of urine is strong in some dilapidated bathrooms.

The passage of Measure D on June 3 would address these pressing needs. The $40 million bond would also be used to construct new classrooms to accommodate a 25 percent increase in enrollment over the next 10 years. This means the addition of 550 students to schools that are already forced to rely on portable classrooms. And these portables, visible at all of the schools, are meant to be temporary. Some of the water-damaged portables have already outlasted their use and need to be demolished.

For years, there has been a lack of state funding for education, and the state has been unable to provide matching funds for deferred maintenance of facilities. The district has struggled to maintain its facilities, but now the burden is too much. Measure D specifically addresses facilities. Bond money would be used solely for facilities, not for teacher or administrative salaries. All the money raised would stay in Saratoga.

The $40 million bond translates into a yearly $39 tax per $100,000 of assessed property valuation. This is a small price to pay for maintaining some of the highest property values in Northern California.

Good schools benefit everyone. We urge you to vote yes on Measure D.

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