Editorial: Yes on Measure H

Those are a few of the items on the district’s updated facilities master plan that has identified more than $400 million in needed improvements to the San Carlos School District’s nine campuses. The district has decided to ask voters to approve a $176 million bond measure, Measure H, to help start the needed projects. That equates to about $30 per $100,000 assessed valuation so someone who just bought a $2 million house would pay about $600 a year, or about $50 a month. Someone who bought their house a while ago and has a $500,000 assessed value would pay $150 a year, or about $12.50 per month. If the assessed value is less, it’s even less. The money would be bonded and raise about $7.4 million a year and would ultimately cost more than the $176 million amount; but that’s how borrowed money works. In time, the district will likely be able to refinance the bonds to lower rates.

Those opposed to the measure point to archaic bromides about how you don’t need modern buildings and that there are certain groups of students who aren’t meeting state standards. Children and their teachers deserve modern facilities and equipment, however, just like everyone else. And cherry-picking data to prove some level of failure when overall San Carlos schools are considered to be among the elite is disingenuous and intellectually lazy. Besides, why would you want facilities to be worse if the schools weren’t doing well? You wouldn’t. And the schools are doing just fine and face the same challenges as every other school district in the county when it comes to certain student subgroups.

It has been more than a decade since the community last supported a bond measure in San Carlos for its schools and its teachers and administrators have had to make do. It’s time now to invest in the buildings that make learning possible in our modern era. Vote yes on Measure H.