Story by Susan Meeker
MAXWELL, CA (MPG) – If school facilities could be constructed and maintained with paper clips and duct tape, the Maxwell Unified School District Board of Trustees might not consider floating a bond in the November 2024 Presidential Election.
Maxwell staff and trustees said they may ask voters to pass a general obligation bond for up to $8.5 million to pay for facilities that will be safe, conducive for education, and something the community could be proud of.
“We may not have a choice,” said Superintendent Summer Shadley, at a special workshop on Oct. 9, when trustees tried to narrow down a potential list of projects from an initial assessment of the district’s renovation needs.
School modernization, safety, and upkeep, and how to pay for those needs, have been topics the school board and staff have discussed at great length for several months, although they have yet to spark an interest with the public.
At a public workshop on Oct. 9, the school board attempted to prioritize projects – from the perspective of students, parents, teachers, and visitors to the district.
School officials said the district’s aging facilities show too much wear and tear to be safe, and the lack of permanent walls at the high school and elementary school make it difficult for students to learn.
“There are just a lot of needs that need to be addressed,” Shadley said.
School board members affirmed they have similar priorities, including the need for air conditioning inside the gymnasium, a new roof at the high school, and the need for a new career technical (ag) shop, for which the state would provide financial support.
Shadley said the district would not be able to build new schools with $8.5 million, but that the money would go far toward a required cash match for state school construction grants.
Maxwell Unified is currently eligible for $1.2 million in state funds for elementary school construction, including ADA restrooms, and $1.4 million for the high school but those figures are contingent upon the district pitching in $1.7 million.
“The question is how do we get the $1.7 million,” Shadley said.
School officials said it is too late to consider a bond measure for the March 2023 primary, given the lack of public input, but they will likely propose a bond measure in the November 2024 election.
School board members are forbidden to advocate for or oppose bond elections but are allowed to educate the public on school needs and the bond itself.
The success of bonds is typically in school districts where parents, whose children attend outdated and unsafe schools, and passionate community members are motivated and involved to see school progress.
“It’s going to take a grassroots effort,” Shadley said.
According to California City Finance, about 80 percent of school bonds placed before voters are approved as a financial instrument to build new schools or repair and modernize existing facilities by paying for them over time, although that number dropped to 72% in the 2020 Presidential Election.
Although Maxwell Unified could face an uphill battle with voters, who previously surveyed they would not support a bond, failing to put the question before voters could also cost the district the loss of hardship funding – a highly competitive grant opportunity from the State of California that is only awarded to school districts that have put forth a bond measure that fails.
“Still, if the bond fails, there is no guarantee we would get that money,” Shadley said.
The school board has not yet set a tax rate to put to voters, but a rate of $45 to $60 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year, would bring between $6.4 million and $8.5 million to use as leverage for state funding for school construction projects.
Most districts go for the highest amount, up to $11 million, so they do not have to return to voters again within the reasonable lifespan of the improvements made, officials said.
Maxwell has completed only nine minor construction projects at its schools in over 50 years, Shadley said.