Measure W helped fund the construction of Liberty High School, which opened in 2021. (File photo)
Perris Union High School District is conducting a survey via email to gauge public opinion about a potential new school bond measure.
The email to local residents asks general questions about respondents’ level of satisfaction with a variety of subjects, including the condition of local roads, taxes, traffic, and crime in addition to the quality of education at local schools. The survey then gets to the point of the document – the possibility of a $187 million bond measure in an upcoming election.
According to the survey language, the bond measure would levy approximately $20 per $100,000 of assessed property value ($12 million annually) on homeowners in Menifee and Perris while the bonds are outstanding. The funds would be used to:
— Repair and upgrade classrooms, science labs, career training facilities, and school facilities to support college/career readiness in math, science, engineering, technology, arts, and skill trades.
— Construct/acquire classrooms and facilities to avoid overcrowding.
— Improve school safety/security systems.
The survey presents several statements in support of the bond measure and adds information for those who respond that they wouldn’t support the measure, asking them twice if they would reconsider and respond favorably. At two points following “no” responses, the survey states, “Now that you have heard a bit more about the measure, please read the summary one more time and indicate how you would vote.”
Menifee 24/7 inquired with PUHSD officials about the strategy of the survey.
“The survey follows a proven methodology for feasibility assessments,” replied Marguerite Williams, assistant superintendent for business services, in an email. “The board has followed this same process for all other potential measures in the past, focusing on transparency and collaboration with the communities we serve.
“During the Nov. 12, 2025 board meeting, the board received presentations regarding the exploration of a potential G.O. (General Obligation) Bond measure for an upcoming election. At that time, the board decided to move forward with a statistically reliable survey of voters in the district to gauge their opinions on local issues, facilities, and options regarding a future bond.
“The district has made no decisions regarding placing a bond on a future ballot.”
The bond measure would be the third by PUHSD in the last 14 years. In 2012, voters approved Measure T, which generated $153 million. Those funds were split evenly between Menifee schools and the rest of PUHSD. At the time, district officials said that Menifee’s half of the funds would be put together with a matching amount of promised state funding to build a new high school. However, the state funding was never allocated to help fund the school.
An additional bond – Measure W in 2018 – generated $148 million and made it possible for PUHSD to build Liberty High School.
Measure W had received just over 52 percent of the required 55 percent “yes” votes in results released the day after the election. However, it finished with 55.89 “yes” percent of the vote. The “yes” votes increased steadily over the last two weeks as officials continued to count the thousands of remaining mail-in and provisional ballots, prompting skepticism from some residents.
“So they gained the extra 4 percent they needed since Election Day? Not suspicious at all,” wrote one resident on Facebook.
Menifee residents also passed Measure R in 2024, authorizing the Menifee Union School District to issue $205 million in bonds with a tax levy of $30 per $100,000 of assessed value “to build new schools and improve safety systems, addressing the need for additional educational facilities due to increased enrollment.”
