Voters in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District will decide Nov. 3 whether to authorize $321 million in bonds for repairs and upgrades at Saratoga High School and Los Gatos High School.
The district's board of trustees voted June 11 to place the measure before voters; Local News Matters' ballot guide lists it as Measure N.
What it would cost
According to the ballot question, the bonds would be repaid through a property tax of about $30 per $100,000 of assessed value, which the measure estimates would raise about $23 million a year for as long as the bonds are outstanding. The rate applies to assessed value, not market value, which for many longtime owners is far lower.
What it would pay for
The district's project list includes:
- replacing leaky roofs and aging restrooms, plumbing, electrical systems, and heating and cooling
- safety work, including changes to parking lots and student pick-up and drop-off areas
- updated classrooms and labs for science, technology, engineering, arts, math, robotics and career and college readiness programs
- renovations to cafeterias, indoor athletic facilities and physical education classrooms
The district says all money would stay at its two high schools, that a citizens' oversight committee and annual audits would track spending, and that bond funds could not go to administrator salaries or benefits. It also says passage would make the district eligible for state matching funds that would otherwise go elsewhere.