League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Diego County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Proposition U School Bonds Grossmont Union High School District 55% Approval Required Pass: 97337 / 56.65% Yes votes ...... 74474 / 43.35% No votes See Also: Index of all Propositions

Arguments For Proposition U

Arguments Against Proposition U

Four years ago East County voters approved a school bond to rehabilitate our 11 local high schools. Significant upgrades have since been completed and today 23,245 students attending these schools are benefiting from improved academic classrooms, labs and job training facilities. But even with the improvements made possible by the 2004 bond, some areas of our existing high schools--most originally built 35-55 years ago--remain outdated and deteriorated. Proposition U will make East County high school campuses safer and ensure facilities that better prepare local students for college and high demand jobs. The longer we wait to make these school improvements the more expensive it will be. Proposition U will: Provide classrooms and equipment for Career Technical Education training so non-college-bound students can successfully compete for high-demand jobs Modernize classrooms, labs and equipment to meet advanced course requirements for college and university admission Upgrade classrooms, libraries, labs and computers to keep pace with advancing technology Upgrade heating and ventilating, and improve energy efficiency to reduce costs Rehabilitate/replace aging, deteriorated school facilities and structures Construct a new high school in the Alpine/Blossom Valley area Improve safety and security on all high school campuses ALL Proposition U funds will stay local to benefit East County high schools. None of it can be taken away by politicians in Sacramento or used for other purposes. Taxpayer protections are REQUIRED. Independent Citizens' Oversight and mandatory audits will ensure funds are spent properly. Proposition U property taxes will be deductible on your income taxes. Passage of Proposition U will qualify our high schools for millions in state matching funds, leveraging local taxpayer dollars further. Quality schools help protect property values. Parents, teachers, seniors, business and civic leaders, and citizens throughout East County urge your support. Please VOTE YES on U. DEANNA WEEKS President & CEO, East County Economic Development Council Foundation MAJOR JAMES PANKNIN, USMC (Ret.) Parent & Aviation Business Owner BECKEE HANDRICH Parent & PTA President BOB TAYLOR Businessman, Founder of Taylor Guitars 36 year East County Resident CHERYL GABLER San Diego County Teacher of the Year 2006 Rebuttal to Arguments For Prop U is a covert attempt on the part of special interest groups to construct a new high school in a time of declining enrollment AND state funding cuts. Four years ago the GUHSD board unanimously supported Prop H which brought in almost a half-billion-dollars to improve our schools. As promised, Prop H is already modernizing classrooms, upgrading computer labs, replacing heating/cooling units, and improving safety and security. Prop H benefits all students throughout the district. This isn't the case with Prop U which not even the GUHSD board unanimously supports. Prop U is flawed. What we don't need is a new high school. We have entered a ten-year period of declining enrollment and state funding cuts. A new school would cannibalize district resources and result in the layoffs of committed teachers, librarians, coaches, counselors, and classified school employees. One or more schools would have to be closed. WHY BUILD A NEW SCHOOL AND CLOSE EXSISTING SCHOOLS? Parents, teachers, school board members, school employees, business leaders, real estate agents, and homeowners OPPOSE THIS WASTEFUL TAX INCREASE to construct a new high school. A time of foreclosures and a weak economy is the wrong time to raise taxes on families. The costs for operating this new school would have to come from the rest of the district in a time of declining enrollment and state funding cuts. This Is UNFAIR to our kids, our teachers, our school employees, our district, and our community. We deserve better. Vote NO on U. DONALD J. SMITH Former La Mesa-Spring Valley School Board Member SHARI L. GROCE Taxpayer/Homeowner/Engineer DAN BARTHOLOMEW Santee School Board Member Former Grossmont CBOC Member RICHARD RIDER Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters MEG JEDYNAK Candidate for Grossmont Union High School District Journalist

Prop U requires home owners to allow a tax upon property for an additional $417 Million. To put this in perspective, 417 Million minutes ago was the year 1215: It was in 2004 that Prop H was passed providing approximately $450 Million for school renovation. Passing Prop U would bring the total to nearly a BILLION DOLLARS. Attached to Prop U is the promise of the construction of a new high school in Alpine. This new school would cost over $65 Million and is not needed. Both enrollment studies commissioned by the district show that enrollment is decreasing at a projected rate that will leave the district with a projected 3,700 less students over the next decade. This may result in having up to two more schools in the district than will be needed. Prop H is still in process and approximately $250 Million is still unspent. It is fiscally irresponsible to increase the tax burden by another $417 Million, when existing funds have yet to be spent. This is especially true in light of the current push to raise taxation at the city, state and federal levels. New sales taxes, cost of food and gas and an implosion of property values create the perfect storm of a financial crisis that taxpayers should not be forced to bear. Another tax increase, specifically one that is unnecessary, is irresponsible. The San Diego County Republican Party believes that tax increases like this one, which is designed to fuel out of control spending, are never in the best interests of the community. Taxation of this type will take only a day to enact and decades to repay. TONY KRVARIC Chairman Republican Party of San Diego County GARY CASS Former Grossmont Union Trustee JIM KELLY Grossmont Union School Board Member MICHAEL BENOIT Candidate for U.S. Congress Rebuttal to Arguments Against Proposition U opponents miss the point! Apparently they haven't visited our high schools recently or they would be convinced, as we are, that Proposition U is DESPERATELY NEEDED and is a sound investment. Here are the FACTS: FACT: Prop U is about one thing-improving the quality of East County high schools so students get the education and technologies needed to succeed in our emerging high-tech economy. FACT: Prop U provides facilities, technology and equipment only so college-bound students can succeed AND those that don't plan to go to college receive the training they need to compete for high demand jobs right out of high school. FACT: Grossmont Union High School District has developed a comprehensive Facilities Master Plan to guide its efforts. Voters approved Prop H in 2004 to help. Prop H implementation is on track. But the need is so great that some facilities still need attention. Prop U authorizes the next essential, affordable upgrades. FACT: An Independent Citizens Oversight Committee will monitor all projects-including the new high school in Alpine/Blossom Valley-to ensure taxpayer funds are spent properly. FACT: Legally, ALL Prop U funds MUST stay local to benefit East County high schools. FACT: These facility needs aren't going away. The longer we wait, the more expensive it will be. East County children deserve quality competitive schools. Quality schools protect property values. That's why Proposition U is supported by homeowners, realtors, local businesses, seniors, taxpayers and voters from all parties--as well as parents and educators. Please--VOTE YES on U. CLIFF DIAMOND El Cajon Police Chief, Retired BOB WATKINS President San Diego County Board of Education DANA QUITTNER Board Member East County Economic Development Council DOUG DEANE Business Education Chair San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce RANDY VOEPEL Mayor, City of Santee

Tax Rate Statement

An election will be held in the Grossmont Union High School District (the "District") on November 4, 2008, to authorize the sale of up to $417,000,000 in bonds of the District to finance school facilities as described in the proposition. If the bonds are approved, the District expects to sell the bonds in five series over time. Principal and interest on the bonds will be payable from the proceeds of tax levies made upon the taxable property in the District. The information presented in numbered paragraphs 1-3 below is provided in compliance with Sections 9400-9404 of the Elections Code of the State of California. 1. The best estimate of the tax which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the first series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is 27.9 cents per $100 ($27.90 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2008-09. 2. The best estimate of the tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue during the first fiscal year after the sale of the last series of bonds, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is 27.9 cents per $100 ($27.90 per $100,000) of assessed valuation in fiscal year 2016-17. 3. The best estimate of the highest tax rate which would be required to be levied to fund this bond issue, based on estimated assessed valuations available at the time of filing of this statement, is 27.9 cents per $100 ($27.90 per $100,000) of assessed valuation. The tax rate is expected to remain the same in each year. Voters should note that the estimated tax rates are based on the ASSESSED VALUE of taxable property in the District as shown on the County's official tax rolls, not on the property's market value. Property owners should consult their own property tax bills to determine their property's assessed value and any applicable tax exemptions. The foregoing information is based upon the District's projections and estimates. Approval of the ballot measure authorizes the issuance of bonds under certain conditions, and is not approval of a specific tax rate. The actual tax rates and the years in which they will apply may vary from those presently estimated, due to variations from these estimates in the timing of bond sales, the amount and repayment structure of bonds sold, market interest rates at the time of each sale, and actual assessed valuations over the term of repayment of the bonds. The dates of sale and the amount and repayment structure of bonds sold at any given time will be determined by the District based on its need for construction funds and other factors, including the legal limitations on bonds approved by a 55% vote. The actual interest rates at which the bonds will be sold will depend on the bond market at the time of each sale. Actual future assessed valuation will depend upon the amount and value of taxable property within the District as determined by the County Assessor in the annual assessment and the equalization process. STATEMENT REQUIRED BY EDUCATION CODE SECTION 15122.5 Approval of Proposition U does not guarantee that the proposed project or projects in the Grossmont Union High School District that are the subject of bonds under Proposition U will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by Proposition U. The District's proposal for the project or projects assumes the receipt of matching state funds, which could be subject to appropriation by the Legislature or approval of a statewide bond measure.