New Funding for Schools

In a recent telephone poll about a potential new funding measure intended to improve and expand Moreno Valley Unified School District facilities, 72 percent of 400 registered participants said they would definitely or likely support it. The poll was conducted to help the School Board gauge public support for paying a little more in property taxes to make important improvements at all district schools. “Seventy-two percent is a powerful show of support for MVUSD schools,” said School Board President Tracey B. Vackar, noting that successful school bond measures need to gain 55 percent of the vote. “I think we tend to forget that for a political candidate, receiving 55 percent of the vote is considered a landslide. Our support is far beyond that mark.” MVUSD's Facilities Master Plan, completed in 2013, details a total of almost $615 million in needs, focusing on immediate safety, security and infrastructure improvements across the district; construction of a fifth high school; replacement of many portable buildings with permanent structures; modernization of schools qualifying for state matching funds; and final siting of a future elementary school and middle school. The long list of projects would also likely include addition of a pool at Vista del Lago High School, a new athletic complex at Canyon Springs High School, an outdoor amphitheater at Moreno Valley High School, and expansion of high-speed internet access for all students and teachers. If the School Board were to place a measure before voters for the maximum allowable bonding authority amount of $398 million, then, if approved, average Moreno Valley homeowners could expect to pay a maximum of about $95 per year. Local bond revenues would leverage state matching funds. General Obligation or “GO” bonds are essentially IOUs sold at various intervals to investors. The district gets its funding right away from whatever amount of bonds it sells, and agrees to pay investors back with interest when the bonds mature in 25 years. The School Board is expected to decide this summer whether to put a bond measure before voters in November. The Moreno Valley Unified School District is the third-largest school district in Riverside County, serving more than 34,000 students in grades K-12 at 40 schools.