San Juan Unified School District area voters will decide this November whether to allocate $950 million in bonds for district facility improvements.
Through a property tax increase, Measure P, dubbed the “Classroom Repair Measure,” would provide funds for roof, plumbing and electrical work. Another main priority of the initiative will be removing lead and asbestos from school facilities.
While the district says it will need at least $3.5 billion for long-term fixes, some of the money could be dedicated to larger projects like new athletic spaces and classrooms.
The last San Juan bond measure included a key project chosen by every high school; a new football field or a performance theater, for example.
That measure saw Rio receive more than $50 million in facilities improvements, according to San Juan Chief of Staff Trent Allen.
“These improvements were made possible because of facilities bonds approved by local voters which funded the projects,” Allen said.
Construction at various schools will take time as, unlike the other districts proposing bonds, SJUSD continues to update its Facilities Master Plan for renovation and modernization projects, district spokesperson Raj Rai said.
“We gathered community feedback through surveys and workshops and heard from students, families and staff about their vision for their school facilities,” Rai said. “The feedback and assessments are informing the updates to the (facilities) plan, which will be finalized in early Spring 2025. The plan will include project prioritization guidelines that we will apply moving forward, should funds and resources be available.”
Rio Americano received a C- in the last plan’s physical condition assessment.
The district also hopes that improvements from the initiative will make facilities more desirable for current and potential new teachers.
“By improving classrooms and teaching environments, Measure P can help San Juan Unified remain competitive during the current teacher shortage so that we can continue to attract and retain the quality teachers our students deserve,” Superintendent Melissa Bassanelli said in a statement.