School districts across the state are in major need of funds to address aging facilities. In California, the main method districts use to secure money for infrastructural repairs and modernizations are through school bonds.
At least six Sacramento school districts will place bond measures on this November’s ballot, up from just three in 2022 and two in 2020 .
Funds are needed for all sorts of projects — from addressing aging infrastructure in nearly century-old buildings and increasing capacity for fluctuating enrollment to the addition of up to date technology and upgraded extracurricular facilities. The collective estimated facilities needs of schools in Sacramento County reaches nearly $10 billion.
What is a school bond?
School bonds allow for districts to borrow large sums of money. The principal and interest of the loan is paid off by local property owners through an increase in property taxes. The bonds are approved by election — districts can choose to seek approval for bonds at either a two-thirds majority vote or a 55% majority vote that requires greater accountability measures in place. Most districts opt to go for the latter.
Bonds monies are specifically allocated for the construction, modernization and repair of buildings and cannot be used for staff compensation. All bond funds are locally controlled and cannot be taken away by the state. School districts seeking to pass a bond with the lower vote threshold must appoint an independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee to monitor the expenditure of bond revenue and ensure the district follows the law and general best practices.
It is common for school districts to pass a bond within 4-8 years of one another, in which case property owners may be paying off multiple bond sales at once. The longer that projects are put off, the more expensive they will ultimately become due to inflation and the costs associated with deferred maintenance.
It costs an estimated $442,000-$457,000 to place a bond measure on the ballot, according to the Sacramento County Elections Office.
Why they need the money
Nearly four in 10 California students attend schools that do not meet the minimum facility standards, according to a 2020 Public Policy Institute of California report. Damaged floors, malfunctioning electrical systems, gas leaks, power failures, broken water pipes, mold, pest infestations and water contaminants can result in temporary school closures.
Schools often need major renovations to maintain and upgrade aging buildings, plan for natural disasters, improve energy efficiency and ensure disability accommodations. Some school districts may need additional classroom space on certain campuses to keep class sizes down, if not an entirely new school site to accommodate growing enrollment.
Beyond these basic needs are classroom modernizations or facilities dedicated to specific educational programming or goals. Examples of these types of projects include constructing or modernizing STEM labs, performing arts venues, visual art studios, athletic gyms, fields and cafeterias.
Most school districts continually update a Facilities Master Plan that tracks the current and future needs of school facilities and strategizes how to prioritize projects based on enrollment projections, educational goals and social equity. Part of a plan includes identifying costs and sources of funding to complete these projects.
Several studies have concluded that the quality of school facilities has a measurable effect on children’s learning outcomes and the retention of staff. Poor physical environments and loud classrooms are associated with truancy, behavior problems and lower student achievement. Reading speed, comprehension and math performance are adversely affected by room temperatures above 74 degrees. School safety and sustainability have also been shown to affect student learning.
Below is a list of Sacramento County school districts that are seeking to pass bond measures this November. Full ballot text can be found here .
Archoe Union Elementary School District (Measure M)
Total bond amount: $5.8 million
Tax rate: $30 per $100,000 assessed value
Archoe Union Elementary School District, which is composed of only one TK-8 school in Herald, is seeking funds to build new STEM and agricultural labs, increase classroom capacity and the possible construction of a multiuse facility for both school and community use.
The district’s last attempt at passing a bond was in 2010, but voters did not approve it.
Elk Grove Unified School District (Measure name not yet determined)
Total bond amount: $542 million
Tax rate: $34 per $100,000 assessed value
A recently updated Facilities Master Plan estimated that Elk Grove Unified has $1.98 billion in facilities needs over the next 10 years. The district, which is the fifth largest in the state, projects enrollment growth at most school sites over the next decade, creating the need for a new elementary and middle/high school in Rancho Cordova and at least one new elementary school in South Elk Grove.
Other potential projects to be funded by a general obligation bond include new classroom technology; facilities for career technical education pathways (including health sciences, engineering and other trades); upgrades to some of the oldest schools in the district; improved student safety and security systems; and the replacement of aging portable buildings with modern, permanent classrooms.
Elk Grove most recently passed a bond in 2016, Measure M, which funded a number of repair and modernization projects, including the reconstruction of Franklin Elementary School and the construction of Miwok Village Elementary School.
Elverta Joint Elementary School District (Measure J)
Total bond amount: $4.3 million
Tax rate: $29.14 per $100,000 assessed value
Elverta Joint Elementary, a small district of only two schools and one charter school, is seeking funds to improve outdated electrical, HVAC and plumbing systems and to make facilities more accessible to disabled students. The measure text also includes repairing or constructing new school playgrounds and fields.
The district most recently attempted to pass a bond in 2022, which was ultimately defeated by voters.
Galt Joint Union Elementary School District (Measure H)
Total bond amount: $27 million
Tax rate: $30 per $100,000 assessed value
Galt Joint Union Elementary is seeking funds primarily for repairs and upgrades to aging school buildings to meet current safety codes and provide access for students with disabilities. The measure text also includes improved campus security systems and fixes for deteriorating roofs, plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems.
The district most recently passed a bond in 2016, Measure K, which funded new security systems, replaced aging infrastructure and modernized classrooms.
Sacramento City Unified School District (Measure D)
Total bond amount: $543 million
Tax rate: $35 per $100,000 assessed value
Sacramento City Unified faces an estimated facilities need of $4.4 billion in the next decade. District leaders laid out a plan to pass a 2024 and 2028 bond that will keep the taxation rate at the same rate over the next several decades . Without Measure D, property owners’ tax rate would fall over the coming decades as older bond measures are paid off, but passing the bond would maintain the current tax rate of about $130 per $100,000 assessed value over the next decade unless future bonds are also levied.
The district’s Facilities Master Plan separates projects into two categories: projects that will address health, safety and compliance issues and projects that improve learning environments. Projects in the second category are prioritized to address the needs of schools identified as under-resourced and historically marginalized.
Sacramento City Unified most recently passed a bond in 2020, Measure H, which funded the reconstruction of three school campuses which all broke ground last year. A number of other bond-funded projects, like elementary campus renewals and the replacement of high school athletic fields, began work earlier this summer.
San Joaquin Delta Community College District (Measure K)
Total bond amount: $598 million
Tax rate: $16 per $100,000 assessed value
San Joaquin Delta Community College District, which covers parts of south Sacramento County but is mostly contained within San Joaquin County, is seeking to pass its third bond measure in its 89-year history. Funds generated from the bond would go toward fixing old plumbing, repairing leaky roofs, upgrading classrooms and improving student safety.
Undecided districts
A few school districts are still considering a bond in the coming weeks, but will have to act fast to get the measure on the ballot by the deadline of Aug. 9 . The Folsom Cordova Unified School District Board of Trustees will discuss the matter at its Aug. 1 meeting, according to district spokesperson Angela Griffin.
San Juan Unified School District is also considering a bond and has conducted polling to gauge voter interest, but the board has no plans set to discuss or approve the ballot measure before the deadline of Aug. 9, according to district spokesperson Raj Rai.
Sacramento County school districts not placing bonds
Natomas Unified School District will not be putting a bond measure on the ballot this year, despite estimating $1.13 billion in facility needs over the next 10 years. The school board discussed the matter at a special meeting in June, but ultimately decided to pursue passing one in the 2026 election instead.
Galt Joint Union High School District trustees chose not to pursue a bond measure after receiving middling poll results from potential voters.
Twin Rivers Unified School District most recently passed two facilities bonds, Measures J and K, in 2022.
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