School Bonds versus School Buses
I did some digging back on what school bond measures we've passed before, considering we're now being asked to support Measure B. Me...
http://www.menifee247.com/2008/01/school-bonds-versus-school-buses.htm
I did some digging back on what school bond measures we've passed before, considering we're now being asked to support Measure B.
Measure B, which will be up for public ballot this February 5, is asking us to pay an additional $17.90 per year for every $100,000 in assessed value. So, if your home is valued at $300,000 dollars, you'll be paying $53.70 per year, for the next 25 years.
In 2002, we passed Measure J, a bond measure for Menifee Union. Currently, we're paying $16.25 per year, per $100,000 in assessed value.
In 2004, we passed Measure Z, a bond measure for Perris High School District. Currently, we're paying $30.00 per year, per $100,000 in assessed value.
So, if your home is worth $300,000, and Measure B happens to pass, you'll be paying $192.45 per year, for these three bond measures alone. That's about what Menifee Union charges parents to put their child on a school bus.
Measure B, which will be up for public ballot this February 5, is asking us to pay an additional $17.90 per year for every $100,000 in assessed value. So, if your home is valued at $300,000 dollars, you'll be paying $53.70 per year, for the next 25 years.
In 2002, we passed Measure J, a bond measure for Menifee Union. Currently, we're paying $16.25 per year, per $100,000 in assessed value.
In 2004, we passed Measure Z, a bond measure for Perris High School District. Currently, we're paying $30.00 per year, per $100,000 in assessed value.
So, if your home is worth $300,000, and Measure B happens to pass, you'll be paying $192.45 per year, for these three bond measures alone. That's about what Menifee Union charges parents to put their child on a school bus.
This doesn't even take into account the amount that's from older bonds from 10 or 20 years ago. Look at your property tax statement and see what other bonds you are paying and be prepared to be disgusted.
ReplyDeleteA house purchased for $360,000 about 2 years ago pays this in school related taxes-$1045.00 for Menifee USD CFD 99-1 and $240.20 for Perrris Union HSD.
ReplyDeleteI just received my ballot in the mail. I voted no on measure B.
ReplyDeleteHolly - My point exactly! We're already paying close to $1300 per year for school bonds and now MVUSD wants us to pay even more? Are they crazy?
ReplyDeleteThis is why I think Menifee Union is shortsighted in their funding projections. Quit burdening the existing homeowners to build new schools with more tax bonds. Instead set up something like the County TUMF to levy a fee against new homes that are being built to mitigate the impact of the people moving into those homes.
I for one am voting yes on the Measure. My oldest child does not attend school in Menifee after two years in the elementary school. The curriculum is awful at the Middle schools and yes this may not help with that aspect but I send my child to school in Temecula where there is a school in every tract pretty much. We need to step back and look what impact the kids that are being bussed in from Perris are having on this school district. Me and my husband paid quite a bit for our house here and would like the schools to be comparable to Murietta and Temecula. Step back and I know that there are a lot of changes be asked but just really think about it.
ReplyDeleteAlmost ever school built in the state is built with money that comes half from the state and half from the local community. However, if the local community is not willing to pay halfway the state says "They don't care enough about their own kids why should we pay money to help them build schools." So they don’t. Menifee District is the only district in the area that is still on year round. This means that compared to other districts we are over crowded by 25% already. We also have portables on almost every school yard taking up play space for our children. Teachers have to rotate class rooms every 3 months just to have a room to teach in. The last bond passed was a Perris High School Bond and went for a school not in our community. This bond is for schools in our district. Anyone who has visited the middle schools and tried to walk the halls at passing time would see how much we need another middle school even with multi-track. The boundary issue has nothing to do with this bond. Every student in the district can't go to only one school. We can't build new schools and have them sit empty, with no students. When new schools are open the teachers come from the other school in the district and those teacher are just as excellent in the new school as they were in the prior school. We don't send students there alone. I agree students should stay at there neighborhood school . All students should be in walking distance of their school. The only way to accomplish this goal is to build new schools near existing neighborhoods. But if we vote against school bonds we do as my mother said "Cut off our nose to spite out face" I hope that Menifee parents and grand parents believe as I do that that our children deserve as much play space, passing room and classroom space as students in other districts but maybe I'm wrong. I thought you believed me about Unification. Believe me about this too. It is so worth it.
ReplyDeleteFred and Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteHow can you say that Measure B is for schools in our community? It will fund 3 new schools (this from the "Vote Yes" web site listed in your sample ballot):
1. A new elementary school in CANYON HILLS. This is in the City of Lake Elsinore. Why doesn't the Lake Elsinore school district fund this school like they did for the middle school in that community? Maybe boundaries between districts need to be redrawn...
2. A new elementary school in MURRIETA. That is, the City of Murrieta. Why doesn't the Murrieta school district fund this school in their community? Maybe boundaries between districts need to be redrawn...
3. A new middle school in Sun City. This is the only school that is in the Menifee Valley.
I have nothing against anyone who lives in another community, but I shouldn't have to pay for their services. I don't pay for the Murrieta Fire Department, so why should I have to pay for their schools?
I'm voting NO on Measure B and encourage everyone else to do the same.
As the old saying goes, everything costs money. It is obvious the state will not provide the resources necessary to accommodate the growth of young families that have made Menifee what it is, A Great Community. The means to provide for our children’s education will have to come from us.
ReplyDeleteThe problem I see with Measure B, is what happens when we unify? Where does the money come from to pay for the new high school we will need? I see with the “proposed” boundary changes, that our elementary schools will be under capacity and in one case by more than 500 students. The growth in Menifee has, at least for the time being, slowed to a manageable pace. Wouldn’t we be wise to wait 2 years to see where we stand with unification? I would be more willing to vote in favor of a larger measure, for a elementary/middle and high school, knowing we have succeed at unification and are able to accommodate students from our current 11 elementary schools.
In response to the above commenter, "J", the money to pay for Paloma High, once unification is complete, will come from the State, and property taxes. The state pays Menifee Union, thousands of dollars per student, per year. So once we absorb all those Paloma High students, it'll bring in a lot of state money for MUSD. Consequently, Perris High School District will lose this amount of money as well.
ReplyDeleteBut the advantage for Menifee residents is that this extra state money will be spent here in Menifee, instead of being spread across Perris and Romoland.
As much as I would like to believe it, we will not receive enough funding from the state to provide for our second high school. To accomplish that, additional funds will be needed from residents.
ReplyDeleteIt may be true that we will receive additional funds from the state when we unify becuase we will not share it with Perris, but we will also incur $36 million in debt, for bonds that were sold to build Paloma High School.
Unfortunately, the money the district gets for each student pays for Teachers salaries, books, supplies, computers, custodians, administration, food service and bussing contracts, It does not pay for facilities. "I wish" I would love to have my house for free and be able to add on rooms with no cost, so my daughters don't have to share when they get older but unfortunately I do have a mortgage and a second for just that reason. I don't make my youngest pay more rent or do more chores than the older ones they all chip in just the same regardless of who came last. However 4 girls is enough and I agree with most of you that we have enough roof tops. Or to put it another way there are many roads in the county you don't drive on but you still pay taxes for them. The Menifee tax payers already pay Paloma's mortgage and after unification they will continue to do so, only to Menifee Unified instead of Perris Union. The way the state pays for buildings is by matching funds from the local community. This has been the method since before the 1960s and I don't know how to change it. But I don't deny it. When unification happens the state may pay for the increased cost of bringing all the salaries to the same level, maybe not. But no additional funds will come for buildings from unification. I am not sure where people get all this false information but if you come to the unification meetings and board meetings that would be a great way to find out the correct information. Or you can call me. As for the elementary schools, they are all schools inside the Menifee district boundaries which has nothing to do with city boundaries. Cities and Districts are two separate governments and have little to do with each other. Although some students who live in the Menifee District live in cities with other names. I have to point out that non of the students live in the City of Menifee, Please take a look at the district map its is very clear what area the Menifee district governs, Years ago the people who lived here decided on the boundaries and considered them the edge of the Menifee educational community. In order to change the district boundaries the bordering districts, not cities have to be willing to take the land and the students, they are not willing to do this. I am willing meet with any group or individual and talk about all this stuff. It's why some of you voted for me and as an elected official, its my duty to all of you.
ReplyDelete