There were no in-person attendees on Wednesday to hear why the Saugus Union School District is putting a $187 million bond measure proposal on the November ballot, and only a handful of virtual attendees.
The district’s governing board had approved Measure N to be placed on the ballot during a special meeting held earlier this month. Wednesday marked the first of seven scheduled “hybrid” meetings for district officials to outline the need for facilities improvements, with the district also simulcasting from both Mountainview Elementary and Skyblue Mesa Elementary, as well as on Zoom.
Two more meetings were scheduled for Thursday, one in the morning and one in the evening. According to Superintendent Colleen Hawkins, there were again no in-person attendees for the morning session and only a few online.
The proposed bond measure would see a $30 tax levied per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value, the maximum allowed for a general obligation bond measure under Proposition 39.
With interest, the total amount of debt expected to be repaid should all bonds be issued would be approximately $415 million, according to estimates.
Homeowners in the district are currently paying $22.11 per $100,000 of assessed value per year as part of Measure EE that was passed by voters in 2014. Should Measure N pass, another $30 per $100,000 of assessed value would be added on to that each year.
Voters will be asked on Nov. 5 the following:
“To retrofit classrooms/ schools, improve preparedness for earthquakes, wildfires, natural disasters; upgrade secured school entries and safety systems; expand early childhood education classrooms; and construct/ repair sites and facilities; shall Saugus Union School District’s (SFID 2014-1) measure be adopted, authorizing $187 million in bonds at legal rates, levying $30 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, generating $13 million annually while bonds are outstanding, requiring audits, oversight, and all funds for local schools?”
The School Facilities Improvement District represents nearly the entirety of the school district, save for approximately 2% of it located west of Interstate 5 near Six Flags Magic Mountain.
That section of land is being developed, and a mitigation agreement was struck between the developer and the district before Measure EE passed in 2014.
Under that agreement, taxes would not be levied on the undeveloped land until a final tract map has been recorded, according to Nick Heinlein, assistant superintendent of business services.
It will cost $350,000 for the measure to be placed on the ballot, Heinlein said. The tax, if passed, would likely run through 2058.
Specifically, the district is focusing on retrofitting 25 buildings at five school sites that have been identified through Assembly Bill 300 as potentially needing rehabilitation: six each at Cedarcreek and Skyblue Mesa elementary schools; five each at Rosedell and Rio Vista elementary schools; and three at Emblem Academy.
The district is waiting for letters from the Division of the State Architect to determine how much funding would be needed for each project. That number could change next year when a new three-year cycle for building codes comes out, and could change again in 2028.
The following projects have also been listed as priorities, in no particular order:
- More security at school sites, including a more secure reception area, surveillance equipment and perimeter fencing.
- Accessibility upgrades, including restrooms, path of travel and appropriate signage.
- More classrooms at Highlands for the dual language immersion program, which would require an additional eight permanent classrooms.
- An additional 28 new classrooms spread across the district to comply with transitional kindergarten and kindergarten requirements.
Steve Petzold, a former Santa Clarita Valley resident who now lives in Georgia, was the only person to ask a question on Wednesday. He questioned why the Saugus district was the only local district seeking funding for retrofitting when most districts have buildings that are likely listed in the AB 300 report titled “Seismic Safety Inventory of California Public Schools” that was released in 2002.
A total of approximately 7,500 school buildings with an estimated repair cost of over $4 billion were listed, though the state has not set aside direct funding to repair those buildings.
Hawkins said she couldn’t speak on how other districts are dealing with AB 300 requirements, but that the Saugus district’s master plan, created in 2016 before she was appointed superintendent in 2018, has retrofitting buildings listed as a priority.
Petzold also questioned why so many security measures are needed at schools, with Hawkins stating that safety and security have been priorities for schools across the nation since the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012 that saw 26 people killed — including 20 between the ages of 6 and 7 — and locally since the 2019 Saugus High shooting that left three people dead, including the shooter.
“We take the security and safety of our students very seriously, as I would hope all school districts do,” Hawkins said. “But having had that experience in this community, I think you take extra precautions by looking at past situations.”
Heinlein added that he encourages people to review the reports released annually by the Secret Service outlining its recommendations for schools. He said there are always new recommendations every time a significant event occurs at a school, and that the district does what it can to “stay on top of that and implement as many of those recommendations as we possibly can.”
A complete schedule of the remaining community meetings is as follows:
- Friday: 8:30 a.m. at Tesoro del Valle Elementary (29171 Bernardo Way) and North Park Elementary (23335 W. Sunset Hills Drive). Zoom link: saugususd-org.zoom.us/j/81779591983.
- Tuesday, Sept. 3: 9:15 a.m. at James Foster Elementary (22500 Pamplico Drive) and Emblem Academy (22635 W. Espuella Drive). Zoom link: saugususd-org.zoom.us/j/88320656152.
- Monday, Sept. 23: Noon at Rio Vista Elementary (20417 Cedarcreek St.) and Rosedell Elementary (27853 Urbandale Ave.). Zoom link: saugususd-org.zoom.us/j/89211909518.
- Wednesday, Sept. 25: 6 p.m. at Bridgeport Elementary (23670 Newhall Ranch Road) and Highlands Elementary (27332 Catala Ave.). Zoom link: saugususd-org.zoom.us/j/82940169970.
Community members can also attend the meetings at the district’s administrative office, located at 24930 Avenue Stanford.
To read the full proposed measure being placed on the ballot, visit tinyurl.com/5ch3xaxb. For more information, visit the Measure N facts page at tinyurl.com/p577uz2k.
