A shout-out to The Signal and reporter Jose Herrera for publishing an article of significant importance for voters in the Saugus Union School District (Aug. 20).
The fact is the trustees had very little discussion about the survey results and no action was proposed to move a bond forward to the November ballot. The survey made clear that support dropped below the approval threshold if negative points were brought to the voters’ attention. A new bond faced a gloomy future.
The district is used to having a lot of bond money available for school projects and the Measure EE funds are running low relative to funding wants.
It is imperative that the candidates for the three district elections in the Saugus Union School District come forth and let us know what the priority is for the use of remaining EE funds.
With the strong need for seismic safety in Saugus schools it is time to reign in the vanity projects like sustainable gardens, updated furniture (Plum Canyon and Bridgeport), and capital expenditures at outdated schools like Bouquet Canyon.
Serious decisions must be addressed like the permanent closure of Santa Clarita Elementary School, which should be demolished before an effort to rebuild it. Let us hear what the priority of the trustee candidates is moving forward and be proper stewards of the remaining Measure EE funds.
Make no mistake, the administration and trustees will be back with a bond proposal in 2024. Let us hope that they spend remaining bond funds to benefit the students and the stakeholders in the district.
Stephen C. Petzold
Santa Clarita
