Politics & Government
PTA Council Delays Vote on School Bond Measure
The council will wait until October to decide whether to endorse Measure J, but teachers and parents are organizing support in the meantime.
On Tuesday night, South San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Howard S. Cohen argued strongly that the PTA Council endorse Measure J, a school bond measure on the Nov. 2 ballot. The bond would be used to update aging facilities and improve technology.
"Our district facilities are among the oldest in the Bay Area," Cohen said. "The life of portable classrooms is 18 years; many of them are hitting 50 years or more. Many parents have expressed their displeasure with the restrooms their children have to deal with. I'm ashamed, honestly."
The $162 million bond will cost property owners $14 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. The average assessed property value in South San Francisco is about $350,000, which means a $49 increase in property taxes. It's estimated it will take 17 years to repay the cost of the bond.
Find out what's happening in South San Franciscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The money raised will help replace the aging infrastructure, including some 150 portable classrooms at 17 schools. Some of the facilities are more than 50 years old and some of the sewer lines are 80 years old. The bond would allow the purchase of steel-framed prefab buildings, which are a compromise between portables and brick and mortar.
The bond would also support upgrades in technology.
Find out what's happening in South San Franciscowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"It's no longer about books," says school board member Phil Weise. " It's about being able to support a new curriculum oriented to new technologies."
Today's classrooms are moving from "white boards," which replaced black boards, to new "smart boards," which are interactive and connected to the Internet.
"The science classrooms at El Camino don't look much different than a science classroom would have looked at the turn of the 20th century," Cohen said.
In order for the bond measure to pass, it must garner 55 percent of the vote. Local schools are organizing phone banking nights to get out the vote.
Though many PTA members voiced support for the bond, the council delayed a vote until its October meeting so that Cohen can address additional questions from members. In October, the council will choose whether to endorse the bond or remain neutral.
Patch will publish Superintendent Cohen's answers to questions about the bond from PTA and community members.
