Mill Valley school bond measure would improve schools

Gor gds sake, we already pay through the nose in property taxes. Those taxes should be dealing with fundamental infrastructure like repairing and building schools. What the heck have they been doing with our money? Real estate process in Marin have been off the charts for over a decade and they find the money to do this without begging for more? No more enabling these spendthrifts!

Sorry for the typos. I meant to say 'real estate PRICES have been off the charts, and they CAN't find the money?"

Enough already. Manage the money you have. Raise funds from families using the schools. The fields are already paid for by Friends of the Fields. Why isn't there Friends of the MV Schools? Too many unions and too many taxpayer pensions which don't reflect proper fiscal management.

Here's an idea--cut the Principals by 50% for 5 years at the elementary schools by having each of the remaining Principals divide their time at two schools (4 hours a day at each school). Hmm, a cost savings of roughly $2mm. What is the debt service from that savings??? Get creative and fix this with the increased revenues generated by the 400 new state supplemented kids in our schools and using new ideas leveraging new technology to solve this without dumping bond measures on hard working, post prop 13 property taxpayers.

I remember the bonds paying for roofs, maintenance etc. a couple elections ago. Every election there is a school bond for something necessary.

These people should know their business. They should be able to propose a maintenance plan like any real estate business. They wont, because it will reveal their waste and incompetence.

Cant wait to turn 65 so I can get out of their infinite loop.

First, its you who isn't sexy, Ken Benny.

Second, there are too many non MV kids attending MV schools -- "but we are good people and look the other way."

Third, how much money does the MV school spend per kid?(Come on IJ, do some serious reporting instead of recording）

Fourth, there should be a seperation between School & State, like Church & State.

I know its easy to say "do with what you have" but you folks have NO IDEA how fiscally responsible the superintendent and school board are in MV. Because it is a basic aid district, they are not paid per pupil like San Rafael. Besides, parcel taxes are for programs and bonds are for facilities. They can barely contain all the new students even with portable after portable and the buildings are way out of repair. It would be financially irresponsible of them NOT to repair the buildings and to safely house all students who are eligible for a public education.

And by the way, there IS a "Friends of MV Schools" organization. It is called Kiddo! and it raises over a million a year from parents and local businesses to make up for what they USED to get from the state that they don't anymore. So don't think the parents and district aren't doing all they can already.

5-0 comments on this board so far speaking out against this measure.

I bet this measure passes with close to 70% of the voters approving.

Didn't they already start doing this with the 'Turf fields' and 'Sports equipment'??

I survived a local marin school that just like all the other marin school's, was falling apart.. and here I am, alive and well..

Your local community college is falling apart too.. Spent a summer there once, no AC, smells like mildew, cob-webs and busted lightbulbs everywhere.. the lawn was mowed though..

Maybe you want to invest in the next group of 'workers'.. since these other kids have about a decade before they become assimilated and part of the expendable workforce..

The well off marin families will continue to feed them simulated breast milk until the time they reach college, then they will most likely put their arms up and wonder why their kids can't 'get it together'.

I didn't read the article, but I am 100% behind improving our schools...

the truth stings a bit wrote:

I survived a local marin school that just like all the other marin school's, was falling apart.. and here I am, alive and well..

Judging from your posts, you ought to go back to school. Start at about the third grade...

What bothers me is 40 million for 1 school, 60 million all together, and this is PHASE ONE! How much more will phase 2 cost?! Somehow that seems like too much $...is there a DETAILED budget available for public viewing? I appreciate the schools in MV, but this does not seems like a fiscally responsible plan. I could be convinced...anyone?

Well, I guess you don't donate to KIDDO like I do or you would know their mandate is to provide gap funding for music, arts and other non-core educational opportunities. I don't recall donating to KIDDO to pour a foundation, replace a roof and so on. Get a capital fund together--I might donate to that as well if you can convince Rat Dog to play their benefit dinner. Keep this bond off my taxes as a mandate and put the strain on the families using the schools.

More realistic wrote:

I know its easy to say "do with what you have" but you folks have NO IDEA how fiscally responsible the superintendent and school board are in MV. Because it is a basic aid district, they are not paid per pupil like San Rafael. Besides, parcel taxes are for programs and bonds are for facilities. They can barely contain all the new students even with portable after portable and the buildings are way out of repair. It would be financially irresponsible of them NOT to repair the buildings and to safely house all students who are eligible for a public education.
And by the way, there IS a "Friends of MV Schools" organization. It is called Kiddo! and it raises over a million a year from parents and local businesses to make up for what they USED to get from the state that they don't anymore. So don't think the parents and district aren't doing all they can already.

the truth stings a bit wrote:

Didn't they already start doing this with the 'Turf fields' and 'Sports equipment'??
I survived a local marin school that just like all the other marin school's, was falling apart.. and here I am, alive and well..
Your local community college is falling apart too.. Spent a summer there once, no AC, smells like mildew, cob-webs and busted lightbulbs everywhere.. the lawn was mowed though..
Maybe you want to invest in the next group of 'workers'.. since these other kids have about a decade before they become assimilated and part of the expendable workforce..
The well off marin families will continue to feed them simulated breast milk until the time they reach college, then they will most likely put their arms up and wonder why their kids can't 'get it together'.

Turf fields are at Tam - Tamalpais Union High School District. They ran a bond a few years ago to deal with 100 year-old buildings and not enough space. The bond discussed in this article is for Mill Valley School District, which is elementary and middle school only.

MV Dad wrote:

Well, I guess you don't donate to KIDDO like I do or you would know their mandate is to provide gap funding for music, arts and other non-core educational opportunities. I don't recall donating to KIDDO to pour a foundation, replace a roof and so on. Get a capital fund together--I might donate to that as well if you can convince Rat Dog to play their benefit dinner. Keep this bond off my taxes as a mandate and put the strain on the families using the schools.
<quoted text>

Yes, Kiddo is for programs, not buildings. I've been donating for the last 10 years. But asking parents to fund major improvements to buildings their kids are only in for a limited time is ridiculous. These buildings are a part of the MV community, and help to keep everyone's property values strong. Donating for programs while your kids are in the system (and beyond) is a voluntary effort that makes sense. Parents paying for buildings does not.

blank wrote:

What bothers me is 40 million for 1 school, 60 million all together, and this is PHASE ONE! How much more will phase 2 cost?! Somehow that seems like too much $...is there a DETAILED budget available for public viewing? I appreciate the schools in MV, but this does not seems like a fiscally responsible plan. I could be convinced...anyone?

The budget is public record at the district office. And while it seems like a lot of money, think of how much one house for 4 people costs and then think of how many kids we are talking about here. These are LARGE facilities, that are required to be upgraded to current code every time the buildingis touched in any way - updated wiring, new structural codes, new handicapped requirements, etc. etc.

Oh, there's organized opposition all right, but it's on the very down low. Why? Well, as one neighbor said to me aghast that I might speak out publicly against measure C: "You can't do that. These MV mothers are Nazis and they'll make our lives hell." Get a grip. If you want bonds for cap ex, then back off the parcel taxes and better manage the district's money. Enough is enough. Vote no. Just don't talk about it. They'll get the msg on election day.

blank wrote:

What bothers me is 40 million for 1 school, 60 million all together, and this is PHASE ONE! How much more will phase 2 cost?! Somehow that seems like too much $...is there a DETAILED budget available for public viewing? I appreciate the schools in MV, but this does not seems like a fiscally responsible plan. I could be convinced...anyone?

I have often asked for a summary of how past expenditures for bond measures (school renovation and program development) resulted: Did we get what we paid for? What is left to do? Were bond expenditures well-managed? What was done right? What didn't work? What did we learn?

Until this happens, I have decided to back away from the door when my neighbors come a beggin' for additional $$$ to support a bond measure.

I want good schools as well as the next person. But, isn't it time to give the taxpayers a complete audit of our expenditures; the good, the bad and the ugly.

Guardian Angel wrote:

<quoted text>
I have often asked for a summary of how past expenditures for bond measures (school renovation and program development) resulted: Did we get what we paid for? What is left to do? Were bond expenditures well-managed? What was done right? What didn't work? What did we learn?
Until this happens, I have decided to back away from the door when my neighbors come a beggin' for additional $$$ to support a bond measure.
I want good schools as well as the next person. But, isn't it time to give the taxpayers a complete audit of our expenditures; the good, the bad and the ugly.

You're exactly right - the bonds are issued for specific purposes and the public has a right to know how those monies are spent and if they are in accordance with the conditions of the ballot measure that voters approved and the covenants of the bonds themselves.

Guardian Angel wrote:

<quoted text>
I have often asked for a summary of how past expenditures for bond measures (school renovation and program development) resulted: Did we get what we paid for? What is left to do? Were bond expenditures well-managed? What was done right? What didn't work? What did we learn?

To who have you addressed these questions? They are legitimate issues.

Here is my experience with school bonds. I have kids in another school district which passed a couple of bonds this decade. I chose to get involved as a parent and I found the process and people involved were quite transparent. There is even a citizen’s oversight committee which is formed afterward to monitor the spending of our tax dollars. There was a lot of money spent, but the result is outstanding. I am happy with the modernization improvements to our school. It really has made quite a difference and the schools and kids in the district have very much benefitted.

People are not likely to vote one way or another based on what is posted here. If you are truly undecided, then ask these questions to your school administrators and school board.

I suggest parents and any taxpayer should attend a meeting. They are public (by law) and members of the public are free to address the board on any issue. One can just show up and listen and likely hear the answers to many of the questions involving managing funds, construction costs, and accountability.

I will say that it is staggering how much construction costs at the public level. The administrative and construction management seem to push up costs by 20% or more over the private sector. It is ironic to me that some of this additional cost is due to the increased oversight on public spending. What a shame but probably unavoidable.

The MVSD Facilities Master Plan (a 15-year plan) is projected to cost $217,035,000. Please see:
http://www.mvschools.org/facilities/June%2020...
Yes, that is over $200 million! Over $16,500/person in Mill Valley.
I support safe schools for sure. Absolutely. But something seems amiss here in terms of costs.