GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – Gridley Unified School District Superintendent Justin Kern, along with Gridley High School’s Principal Rikki-Lee Burresch have held two informational meetings regarding Measure J, a $16.3 million bond measure on the November 8th ballot.

These meetings have served to inform the public about the measure, allow for a Q&A session, a tour of the facilities, and shared what the school district hopes to accomplish with the funding if the measure passes.

In a previous article from The Gridley Herald, it was stated that the district was hesitant to speak on the financial impact Measure J would have on taxpayers. 

Superintendent Kern wished to clarify some information regarding the bond measure and the “hesitancy” to assign a firm dollar amount to taxpayers.

“The challenge in speaking about annual costs to the individual taxpayer is a result of several factors and fluctuations as a result of city growth and the timing and amount of funds taken out on the bond,” he said. “With that said there is a ceiling. This bond will not exceed $40 per $100,000 of assessed value of the taxpayer’s personal property.

“For comparison’s sake the bond measure passed in 2012 for the elementary schools that led to new classrooms for McKinley, Wilson, and Sycamore had a ceiling of $13 per $100,000.”

He continues speaking on the 2012 bond measure saying, “the current rate today sits at $8.37 per $100,000 or roughly 64% of what voters were told would be the top amount paid. Bond funds are usually taken in series as not all projects happen at once.  This reduces tax implications as well during the initial period.” As for Measure J, if the district were to pull half the funds for the first series, roughly $8 million, the ceiling would drop to $20 per $100,000 assessed property value until the next series was pulled. 

Receiving the bond funds would open the school district up for matching funds from the state – 50/50 matching funds for new construction, 60/40 matching funds for modernization. Kern states, “If Measure J were to be successful, we would receive roughly $8-9 million in match funds allowing for $24-25 million in projects to be completed.” If the district remains eligible, the matching funds could exceed that figure, allowing for more projects throughout the district. 

Gridley High School would be realizing the full $16.3 million if this bond passes, which could eventually snowball to $24-25 million after the state matches the funding. As with loans or mortgages, this bond is subject to annual interest rates that are expected to affect the total value of the bond over its planned 30-year period.

Superintendent Kern also informed the Herald that the State of California requires oversight of public-school bonds. If Measure J passes, the formation of a Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) will be required, where the Board of Education will appoint its members and set their term limits. These meetings are open to the public and it is the job of the CBOC to review the spending of bond funds and report their findings to the public.

As shared in the Measure J informative meeting on October 17th and 24th, Superintendent Kern says, “while GUSD has been successful in securing grants over the past five years, about $1.5 million in total for programs and equipment, efforts to acquire facility improvement funds have been unsuccessful to this point, necessitating this bond.” It is the hope that, if passed, the bond will fund much needed projects and “improvements at Gridley High School for several years as the district continues to pursue available funding options to supplement and maximize the lasting impact that Measure J could have on the school and community.”