Schools
November or June Bond Measure for CUSD in Discussion
The first board meeting of the new school year draws attention to a bond measure, parking and traffic issues, and possible education fund projects.
Bond-measure hopefuls discussed the possibilities at Tuesday’s quiet school board meeting, along with safety concerns and hopes for a new school year.
The board looked at options concerning the success of a bond measure in a June or a November election, reviewing the costs and competitions associated.
“With a lower turnout election, there is going to be a shorter ballot and not as much competition for attention,” said Sarah Stern of TBWB Strategies, the consulting firm assisting the district with analyzing a bond measure.
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Election costs for putting the measure on the June ballot versus the November ballot are similar—$172,000 versus $158,000 respectively, according to Stern.
“June is only a great election date if you’re ready,” Stern said.
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She added that the school district has historically strong voter support in the past two elections and has a “compelling story,” because of its growing enrollment as a destination district and needed repairs to facilities.
The bond measure will be discussed again at the Sept. 7 board meeting.
Also discussed at last week's meeting were possible campaign projects for the Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation (CEEF). The district annually figures on a list of items it would like funded, and CEEF uses that as a basis.
The items on the chalkboard now include middle school music instruments, technology upgrades, WI-FI compatibility at some schools, and cart labs for schools, according to the list handed out Tuesday.
“I’m always a proponent of new instruments,” added Superintendent .
The list is not finalized and will be revisited at the next meeting.
Also at the meeting, a neighbor of Dilworth Elementary School spoke out about his concerns over traffic and safety.
“My No. 1 issue is the safety regarding the traffic on Tompkins Drive,” Jerry Sheahan said. “It’s a really dangerous situation. Even I was almost hit before.”
Read more about the traffic safety issues at local schools here at Traffic Conditions Around Cupertino Schools is a Safety Concern.
