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Measure D – Aromas-San Juan Unified School District bond

Voters in Aromas-San Juan Unified School District will consider a $44 million bond with Measure D in the Nov. 5 election.

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What is Measure D?

If Measure D is adopted:

  • Aromas-San Juan Unified School District would issue up to $44 million in bonds for school maintenance and construction. The bond money only can be used for school facility projects and cannot legally be spent on teacher or administrator salaries. 
  • Property owners in Aromas-San Juan Unified School District would pay an annual tax of $55 to $60 per $100,000 of assessed property value for about 30 years. Assessed property value usually changes when a property is sold, and it is nearly always lower than the market value.
  • As required by law, the school district would create a citizens’ oversight committee for Measure D money and complete annual audits of bond expenditures.

Who will vote on Measure D? 

Voters who live in Aromas-San Juan Unified School District, which includes parts of west San Benito County, southeast Santa Cruz County and north Monterey County, will consider the measure.

The district includes three schools:

  • Aromas School, an elementary school.
  • San Juan School, an elementary school.
  • Anzar High School.

The measure needs 55% of the vote to be adopted.

Can seniors apply for exemption?

State law does not allow bond measures like Measure D to include exemptions for seniors.

What are the plans for Measure D money?

The $44 million in bonds on district facilities and equipment, but cannot be spent on teacher or administrator salaries. 

Barb Dill-Varga, superintendent of Aromas-San Juan Unified School District, said the top priorities for the bond money are to:

  • Rebuild much of San Juan School with buildings that are more earthquake-safe. Although a bond approved in 2020 was expected to cover the rebuild of San Juan School, construction prices have since risen, Dill-Varga said. “It’s taken a long time for this project to come to fruition,” she said. 
  • Upgrade Anzar High School with labs for coding and robotics, and add a cafeteria. Students now “eat in a hallway or in a library or outside,” Dill-Varga said.
  • Renovate parts of Aromas school, including playgrounds and other outdoor spaces.

Proponents and opponents of Measure D

Five residents including parents and business owners filed official ballot arguments in support of Measure D. No formal opposition to Measure D was filed with the Santa Cruz County Clerk. 

Prior ballot measures in Aromas-San Juan Unified School District

In 2020, voters approved a $30.5 million bond with Measure O and a $4.2 million bond with Measure M. Both bonds are being repaid with property taxes totaling about $70 per $100,000 of assessed value. All Measure M money has been spent, and the remaining Measure O money is not enough to finish the needed repairs and upgrades, said Dill-Varga.

What does a “yes” vote mean on Measure D?

A “yes” vote would authorize an annual property tax of around $55 to $60 per $100,000 of assessed value within Aromas-San Juan Unified School District to fund $44 million in bonds.

Measure D ballot text

With funds that cannot be taken by the State and spent elsewhere, shall Aromas-San Juan Unified School District’s measure to renovate/modernize classrooms; expand coding, measure to renovate/modernize classrooms; expand coding, robotics and engineering workshops; replace leaky roofs; and upgrade fire alarms and emergency communication systems at Aromas School, San Juan School, and Anzar High be adopted, authorizing $44 million of bonds with legal rates, audits, average levies below $55 per $100,000 of assessed valuation (raising $2.7 million annually while outstanding), citizens’ oversight, and full public disclosure of spending? 

Measure D full text, impartial analysis and official ballot arguments

—Jesse Kathan

Still have questions about Measure D? Let us know.

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