School Board Moves Bond Measure Forward

The Millbrae School District Board of Trustees on Monday endorsed a draft version of a resolution for to fund facility improvements.

Board members discussed the bond project list, which includes a new cafeteria at Taylor Middle School and energy efficiency improvements at all schools.

District consultant Connell Lindh said the list has to be broad in scope because the district can only issue bonds for construction work included on the list.

“The project list needs to cover everything that you would ever want to do with the money,” Lindh said.

Bond could hurt parcel tax’s chances

Patty Koel, Millbrae PTA Council president and the lone member of the public at the meeting, said she is concerned that raising the property tax rate with the bond measure may affect the chances of an education parcel tax in the future.

“I do think at some point taxpayers are going to say, ‘enough,’” Koel said.

Board President D. Don Revelo said the district can't pass up the depressed construction costs, which lead to millions of dollars in savings on Measure X projects.

“This is real money that is being put to the benefit long-term for our kids,” Revelo said.

Board members said it’s much more difficult to get the two-thirds majority necessary to pass a parcel tax than it is for a bond measure, which requires 55 percent approval.

The district has failed on at least two occasions to pass an education parcel tax.

Eric Nitzsche, district financial advisor, said the property tax rate for the bond would amount to $25 per year per $100,000 in assessed value.

Bond attorney John Palmer told board members that the district can’t use any school funds, supplies or staff time to campaign for the bond measure.

“You can volunteer your time as an individual but you can’t do it while you are on the job,” Palmer said.

If the bond measure is successful, the district plans to use the oversight committee that now oversees Measure X, the $30 million bond voters approved in November 2008.

The bond resolution will come back to the board for a vote on July 25. The district will also submit a ballot argument.

Measure X construction a month behind

Kristen McLean, project manager for Blach Construction, said Taylor Middle School classroom renovations hit a snag when a June 28 downpour damaged the ceiling and upper walls.

Asbestos contaminated the H and A wing classrooms, and workers had to contain the area and remove the wet and damaged elements of the classrooms, according to a facilities update provided by Superintendent Linda Luna. 

The rain has put construction at Taylor Middle School about a month behind, Blach Construction representatives said.

Luna said the district is developing a backup plan for students in case the classrooms aren’t ready when school starts.

“Come Sept. 6 every student will have a classroom,” she said. “It may not be their homeroom room for another month.”

Board member Frank Barbaro complained that construction at Taylor woke his entire neighborhood up at 3am last week.

McLean said there was some last-minute clearance of asbestos that created the ruckus.

The district plans to deliver notes to residents of the neighborhood explaining the reason for the noise.