School Board Approves Placement of Bond Measure on June Ballot

Announcement submitted by Dublin Unified School District:

The Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees voted at the March 8 regular meeting to place a $283 million general obligation bond measure on the ballot for the June 7, 2016 primary election.

The measure requires approval of 55 percent of the registered voters voting on the measure. Should the measure be approved, the District will be authorized to issue and sell bonds of up to $283 million (no more than $60 per $100,000 in assessed value) to provide financing for specific school facilities projects in the Bond Project List prepared by a district committee with stakeholder input from all areas. Bonds will be issued over a series of years as tax rates and assessed valuation allow.

The project list includes: the initial phase of a 2nd high school to meet projected enrollment growth, updating and replacing aging classrooms, updating science and laboratory spaces as well as computers and educational technology; and upgrading classrooms and facilities to meet current fire, emergency and safety codes.

The bond measure, which will be called the “Dublin Quality Education and Overcrowding Prevention Measure, will be Dublin Unified’s third since 2004. The Dublin community has previously passed a pair of bond measures, Measure C and Measure E. Those bond funds have been used for approximately 40 projects across the school district, including the complete renovation of Dublin High School as well as major facilities projects at Wells Middle School, Murray Elementary School, Dublin Elementary School and Frederiksen Elementary School. Bond funds have also supported a significant upgrade of the district’s technology infrastructure and equipment.

“We are especially grateful to the Dublin community for their long history of strong support for our school district,” said Superintendent Stephen Hanke. “The Board’s approval of the placement of a measure on the June ballot is a very important step in our continuing efforts to provide our students with a 21st-century learning environment and is vital to prevent future overcrowding.”

The bond measure will be filed later this week at the Alameda County Registrar of Voters and the Alameda County Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for inclusion on the June 7 ballot. A campaign committee will be formed, which will handle all campaign-related activities until the election.

"The Board takes very seriously the responsibility of asking our community to continue to support our schools with a bond measure," Cunningham said. "This bond measure is critical to help Dublin schools successfully meet the facilities needs of our growing community and to provide our students with extraordinary educational opportunities."

The introductory text of the full bond measure is as follows:

“Dublin Quality Education and Overcrowding Prevention Measure: To protect quality education with funding that cannot be taken by the State, construct schools to prevent overcrowding; update aging classrooms/science labs; continue providing 21st century technology; ensure classrooms meet fire/safety codes and improve energy/operational efficiency, utilizing savings for instruction shall Dublin Unified School District issue $283 million in bonds at legal rates, with annual audits, citizens oversight, no money for administrators and all funds staying in Dublin?”

The full bond measure language can be found in backup materials attached to the March 8 Board meeting here.

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