Question of the Week: Bond Measure

Tonight the Millbrae School District Board of Trustees will hold a study session on on the November ballot to fund facility improvements.

Board members, the superintendent and the district’s consultants have already expressed support for going forward with the bond, but do residents agree?

Property owners would foot the bill for the construction projects, including a new cafeteria at Taylor Middle School and energy efficiency improvements at all schools.

Voters approved a similar bond measure, Measure X, in November 2008. , seismic upgrades and exterior painting.

Critics may argue that the district should have completed more construction under Measure X. If Measure X wasn’t going to finish the job, why didn’t the district ask for a bigger bond the first time around?  

The context of the sluggish economy could be a factor on both sides of the debate: Homeowners, whose property values have dropped during the recession, may be feeling tax weary. School district officials may argue that the bond will provide hundreds of jobs for a construction industry that has not yet rebounded from the housing slump.

The school board needs to hear from voters for and against the bond. Please post comments or questions on this issue. Or email stahl.zachary@gmail.com if you would like to write a longer opinion piece on the subject.

Millbrae Patch will be covering the meeting tonight, which starts at 7pm at the district office, 555 Richmond Drive.