Old Adobe Bonds

[dhansell22]

When I heard of the new bond measure I checked my property tax bill and I noticed there is already a $140 charge for "Old Adobe Elementary Bonds".

Can someone please tell me what this is for and how it differs from the proposed bond measure?

Furthermore, wouldn't it be nice if there were a website where each additional tax on property was itemized to show exactly where the dollars are being spent? Does such a thing exist?

[brassplayer]

The Old Adobe Union School District passed a $10 million bond measure back in 1995, which helped build Sonoma Mountain School and do major repairs at Bernard Eldredge, La Tercera, Miwok Valley and Old Adobe Schools. Some of the repairs included new roofs, asbestos abatement, new lighting and major bathroom renovations.

The new bond measure would continue the renovations to these schools, which could include replacing the natural gas lines under La Tercera and Miwok Valley Schools to prevent more gas leaks such the ones that occurred at La Tercera last year; making the schools more energy efficient to lower ongoing utility bills, and doing major infrastructure work on the plumbing, electrical, and roofing systems. Sonoma Mountain School was built in 1997 and is in good shape. The other four schools were built in the 1950's (Bernard Eldredge and Old Adobe) and 1970's (La Tercera and Miwok Valley) and are showing their age.

Bernard Eldredge is included on this list, even though it was closed, as it currently houses a district run preschool and some county run special education classes. The district is currently renting out some classrooms to generate operating funds, and expects to rent out more classrooms next school year to a new charter school.

In a perfect world, the state would funds the schools adequately, including the cost of maintaining the facilities. In the current state fiscal crisis, our public schools have lost over 20% of their funding, and are hard pressed just to pay teacher salaries and other bare essentials. In this less than perfect situation, the Old Adobe Union School District, and others in Sonoma County, are asking voters for help in keeping our schools safe and in decent repair.

Marlene Abel
Trustee, Old Adobe Union School District

[L1dxf0b]

Absolutely Not!!! What do our tax dollars go to, if not to fund public works projects such as school repairs. By passing our own bonds, to funds the projects the state should be paying for, we allow the state to divert our state tax dollars to other pet projects or their own pockets. This only makes it easier for them to remain unaccountable for basic services.

[dhansell22]

How much is Caldwell Flores Winters, Inc being paid for their consulting on this bond measure?

[2182]

How much did it cost to put the measure on the ballot? 20 to 50K? Who paid for that?

L1dxf0b, I agree! They say good schools raise property values and that its an investment in our community, that may have been true years ago, but no longer holds true. Now we're into the "tax the other guy" mode, in both local and state measures. I love it! Some clown, who is not a property owner, gets to vote on whether I should fork out money....when he won't have to? Where's the equality in that? Sorry....homeowners are not a bottomless pit of money

[miajustice]

We have no street lights operating in my neighborhood. The roads are horrible and I just got a flat tire from a huge pot hole on Sonoma Mtn. Pkwy. We struggle to pay the high costs of living here. The state and local governments seem to have enough money for "Smart" trains and pensions for all their workers so the chances of my household voting for this would be zero. We do not have enough money to fix up our house or cars so the schools will have to make due with what they have. Sorry.

[RMSparks]

Interesting conversation. What about the property the school district owns on Lakeville Hwy by Stage Gulch Road? Do they even realize they still own it? Surely the sale of that property would generate some much needed money. The old school there is beyond repair and is only being used as a storage facility for property no longer being used. And, let's not forget Bernard Edridge is closed. It seems to me there are alternatives that could be in play without having to float a bond measure.

[brassplayer]

I will attempt to answer some of questions from other posters.

How much is Caldwell Flores Winters, Inc being paid for their consulting on this bond measure?

The Old Adobe School Board did not contract with Caldwell, Flores and Winters, Inc. Our contract is with Urban Futures and Isom Advisors. Urban Future's fees are contingent on passage of the bond. If it fails, they are not paid. If the bond measure passes, they are paid out of the proceeds of the bond. They will be paid $25,000 for pre-election services and $3,500-5,000 for election services. When the bonds are sold, Urban Futures would serve as financial advisors for the bond sales, and be paid $65,000 for each series.

How much did it cost to put the measure on the ballot? 20 to 50K? Who paid for that?

The school district pays for the ballot measure, but is not billed until after the election. The cost will vary depending on the number of jurisdictions submitting ballot measures and the number of registered voters in our district. We will not know the cost until after the actual election date. The cost could be as much as $20 K, but will not approach $50 K.

What about the property the school district owns on Lakeville Hwy by Stage Gulch Road? Do they even realize they still own it? Surely the sale of that property would generate some much needed money.

Yes, we do realize that we still own the old Lakeville School. From time to time, we do receive inquiries about this property. The parcel is approximately an acre in size, but has no water and no utilities and no safe road access. When the school was operational in the 1940's, water was pumped from a neighbor and it had propane heat. The propane tank is long gone. The school itself has a leaky roof and is full of peeling lead paint and asbestos tiles. When the Old Adobe district had the property appraised by a real estate professional ten years ago, it was deemed to have little value. That being said, we will consider an offer from any serious buyer.

We have worked very hard as a district to find creative ways to raise funds. We are in the process of converting three of our schools into charter schools, which will be a significant source of funds for the district which may be used for many purposes, including teacher salaries and books.

We have encouraged our families to have their students attend any day they are not ill. The schools only receive money for days that students actually attend. If a child has an "excused absence" for illness or a medical/dental appointment. we lose money for the lost day. In most cases, we also lose money when a family chooses to take a vacation on a school day. The exceptions to this would be if a child attends part of a school day, or if the child is enrolled in independent study.

We also have an active educational foundation which is raising money to create a science lab at each school. Our PTA's and PTO raise funds for the individual sites.

Finally, we hope to expand our exciting Dual Immersion Program, which educates children to be fluent in both English and Spanish. This program is doing a great job in attracting students from outside our district.

I do understand about potholes and broken streetlights. I live within the city limits of Petaluma and I experience these issues on a daily basis. I get that our local governments face daunting challenges, as well our district families who cope with unemployment and rising prices. However, I also know that my responsibility as a board member is to advocate for an excellent education for Petaluma's children. The bond measure allows local voters to choose to support safe, functional and attractive schools for our kids.

Marlene Abel
Trustee, Old Adobe Union School District

[mikeg55]

At $100 per $100,000 assessed value of our homes, charged to us homeowners for the next 30 years, I vote NO. Raise the money some other way.

[brassplayer]

At $100 per $100,000 assessed value of our homes, charged to us homeowners for the next 30 years, I vote NO. Raise the money some other way.

I respect your decision, but please know that the correct amount is $30 per $100,000 in assessed value. Also, we will continue to raise money in every feasible way. The bond measure will help maintain and improve the facilities, but won't directly raise money for other needs, such as classroom supplies or teacher salaries.