$98M Bond Measure For Beaumont Schools: Voters To Decide

BEAUMONT, CA — Does the Beaumont Unified School District need an estimated $98 million from taxpayers to improve its campuses and build new facilities?

That's a question Beaumont voters will decide on March 3 when they head to the polls for the Consolidated Presidential Primary Election to cast a vote on the BUSD bond initiative known as Measure B. Here's a brief primer for voters who are still undecided on the measure:

What does Measure B passage cost Beaumont residents and businesses? If you're a property owner in the BUSD boundaries, expect an annual tax assessment of $50 per $100,000 worth of property you own. Expect to pay that amount for the next 30 years: The final year in which the tax is anticipated to be collected is 2049-2050. If you're wondering about debt service fees the district would need to repay, the best estimate (if all of the bonds are issued and sold) is $179,328,947, according to the BUSD.

What can you expect in terms of BUSD improvements if the measure passes? Money generated by Measure B — estimated to be $6,000,000 annually while bonds are outstanding — would be used to renovate, upgrade, and repair aging infrastructure and construct buildings, classrooms, and school labs. The bond money would not be used to fund the salaries, pensions or benefits of any board members, administrator, and/or teachers, or for other school operating expenses, according to the district.

Existing BUSD campuses and facilities targeted for bond money if Measure B passes include:

If enough bonds are sold, new schools might also be funded through Measure B, according to the district.

Although $98 million is the target, keep in mind that Measure B passage does not guarantee the proposed projects will be funded beyond the local revenues generated. Also, the district is banking on getting matching state funds, but any such funding would likely need future approval from the state Legislature.

What will it take to pass Measure B? Fifty-five percent of qualified voters who turn out for the March 3 election in Beaumont must cast a yes ballot. (A yes vote would allow the BUSD to sell bonds and levy the taxes to pay for them.)

If Measure B is approved, the BUSD board will appoint a citizens' oversight committee, and conduct annual independent financial and performance audits to ensure that bond funds are spent only on the construction, modernization, and renovation of school facilities, furnishings and/or equipment, or the acquisition or lease of property for school facilities, and for no other purposes, according to the district.

What are the deadlines for the March 3 election? Feb. 18 was the deadline for voters to register and be eligible to cast a ballot in the March 3 election. If you are registered, then in order to be counted, completed ballots must be received at the Registrar of Voters office, or any polling place within Riverside County, no later than the close of polls on Election Day, or be postmarked on or before Election Day and received no later than three days after Election Day. Vote-by-mail ballots can be returned through the postal service or deposited in vote-by-mail drop-off boxes at participating city clerks’ offices, including Beaumont.

Read more about Measure B here.