Local Funding
Upgrading and Repairing Aging Schools
Vista Unified School District (VUSD) advances innovative, collaborative, and high-achieving instruction in order to provide exceptional education for all students. Unfortunately, many of our local neighborhood schools were built more than 60 years ago and don’t meet modern building safety codes. 458 portable classrooms at our schools are more than 25 years old and falling apart. Most have structural damage including failing underground pipes that result in gas leaks, water leaks, and sewage backups. Older buildings may have hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead pipes.
Move About Local Funding
Overview
Local Funding Under Local Control for VUSD Schools
Local funding is needed to fix or replace decaying schools and classrooms with safe, modern classrooms that support quality academics and student success in college and careers. VUSD is considering a potential school bond measure for the November 2024 ballot, which would raise $364 million for school upgrades, by levying 4 cents per $100 in assessed (not market) value.
If approved by local voters, the potential local school bond measure would:
- Remove hazardous materials like asbestos and lead pipes from older school sites, where found;
- Repair or replace deteriorating roofs, plumbing, gas lines, sewer lines, and electrical systems where needed;
- Upgrade older schools so they meet current health codes, building safety codes, and provide proper access for students with disabilities;
- Provide modern labs and career technical facilities needed to support high-quality instruction in math, science, engineering, and technology, and prepare students for college and careers in these in-demand industries.
Mandatory Fiscal Accountability & Local Control
- A detailed project list indicating projects that could be funded
- All money would stay local to support our students and could not be taken by the State
- Mandatory citizens’ oversight and public audits/disclosure of spending
- Qualifying for up to $30 million in state funds that will otherwise go to other Districts
Background
Background
-.
We have made following information items available to the public for quick access:
- Community Information and Resources: Information sheets and community presentation links in English and Spanish
- Board Presentations: Information links to presentations to the Board of Education regarding local funding in 2024.
- Overview of the Long-Range Facility Master Plan: A general overview and link to detailed information about our long-range facility master plan.
- Overview of the Long-Range Facility Master Plan
- Community Information and Resources
- Board Presentations
Overview of the Long-Range Facility Master Plan
The Charge of the Facility Master Plan
On May 11, 2022, the Board of Education commissioned the development of a Long Range Facility Master Plan. The intention of this initiative was to analyze the existing state of all facilities, create a high level overview of planning and budgeting as of the date of publication in July 2023, and to have all of the pertinent information to develop long range strategies to address the needs of our facilities in the support of excellence and innovation. for the purpose of developing a facility management system, identify , identify multiple funding sources, accelerate access to Measure LL Facility Bond funds, and leverage future redevelopment funding now through certificates of participation.
This was accomplished by:
- The assessment and review of every property, facility, and related system in the school district.
- The development of high level site plans for each school.
- Engaging the community for ideas and input on the future of schools through online and in person sessions.
- Identifying long rang planning challenges and opportunities.
- Developing a financial projections for how to bring all facilities up to modern standards.
- Creating a living document of the Facility Master Plan to use as a guide for the future of the school district.
Click here to learn more about our long-range plan for all schools.
Community Information and Resources
All information presented at community presentation will be posted here. Items are listed by meeting date.
- July 2024: San Diego County Taxpayer Association School Bond Evaluation
Application of 2024 Presentation - Click Here - June 2024 (Updated July 2024): San Diego County Taxpayer Association School Bond Evaluation
Application of 2024 - Click Here - May 2024: Measure LL Community Update - Click Here for English | Haga clic aquí español
- March 12, 2024: Superintendent and Chief Operations Officer presentation to the Vista Education Foundation. Materials Distributed: Click Here for English | Haga clic aquí para español
Board Presentations
To improve transparency and access to our community, board agenda dates and items are listed here with a direct link to the BoarDocs, our agenda management system.
- July 11, 2024 - Click here to review item 16.E. Adopt Resolution No. 02-20225 Ordering School Bond Election on November 5, 2024
- June 6, 2024: Click here to review item 3.A. Potential Bond Measure Planning
- March 14, 2024: Click here to review item 17.J. Authorize Staff to Enter Into and Agreement to Conduct a Second Community Survey. Click here to review the board action item listing for this meeting.
- February 15, 2024: Click here to to review 10.E. Long Range Facility Master Plan Status Update and Future Project Planning
- December 12, 2023: Click here to review item 17.F. Board Direction on Future Bond Measure
- July 20, 2023: Click here to review item 16.F. Authorize Staff to Enter Into an Agreement to Conduct a Community Survey Utilizing Service from True North Research
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Vista School Unified District (VUSD) doing?
Every student graduates from Vista Unified as a resilient, agile learner and creative problem solver who navigates the world with confidence and kindness and eagerly embraces local and global challenges. With a graduation rate over 85% and reading proficiency scores that exceed state averages, VUSD’s mission is to uphold and advance its innovative, collaborative, and high-achieving community in order to provide exceptional educational experiences for all students.
What challenges do our local schools face?
Unfortunately, many of our local neighborhood schools were built more than 60 years ago and don’t meet modern building safety codes. 458 portable classrooms at our schools are more than 25 years old and falling apart. Most have structural damage including failing underground pipes that result in gas leaks, water leaks, and sewage backups. Older buildings may have hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead pipes.
Are our local schools well maintained?
Yes. Our hard-working maintenance team works hard to take care of our aging classrooms and school facilities by keeping up with minor repairs and maintenance. Unfortunately, the significant upgrades and improvements needed at our older schools are beyond what can be accomplished by our talented but few personnel, and funded by our regular budget. The State of California provides no dedicated funding for school facilities.
How will VUSD overcome the lack of state funding?
Local funding is needed to fix or replace decaying schools and classrooms with safe, modern classrooms that support quality academics and student success in college and careers. VUSD is considering a potential school bond measure for the November 2024 ballot, which would raise $364 million for school upgrades, by levying 4 cents per $100 in assessed (not market) value.
What projects could a bond measure fund?
If approved by local voters, the potential local school bond measure would:
- Remove hazardous materials like asbestos and lead pipes from older school sites, where encountered
- Repair or replace deteriorating roofs, plumbing, gas lines, sewer lines, and electrical systems where needed
- Upgrade older schools so they meet current health codes, building safety codes, and provide proper access for students with disabilities
- Provide modern labs and career technical facilities needed to support high-quality instruction in math, science, engineering, and technology, and prepare students for college and careers in these in-demand industries.
What accountability provisions would be built into a bond measure?
Any potential school bond measure would include strict fiscal accountability protections to ensure
responsible management of funds, including:
- A detailed project list indicating projects that could be funded
- All money would stay local to support our students and could not be taken by the State
- Required citizens’ oversight and independent audits to ensure funds are spent properly
- Qualifying for up to $30 million in state funds that will otherwise go to other Districts
Could this funding be taken by the State?
No funds could be taken by the State or used for purposes other than those specified in the bond measure. All funds from the bond measure would stay local and only benefit VUSD schools.
Hasn’t Vista USD passed a bond before?
Yes, Measure LL in 2018, made notable improvements to VUSD schools. Independent citizen oversight and
annual audits confirm funds were spent as promised. Unfortunately, since the State provides no dedicated
local facilities repair funding to school districts, there’s still much more work to be done.
How much would a bond measure cost?
$364 million in local funds could be generated for our schools by levying about 4 cents per $100 in assessed (not market) value. For the typical homeowner, this amounts to about $170 per year.
What is the difference between assessed value and market value?
The cost of bond measures is based on the assessed value of properties. The assessed value of property is generally based on the last purchase price and may not increase to reflect inflation by more than 2% a year. Market value, on the other hand, is based on market conditions and tends to grow at a much faster rate. The assessed value is usually much lower than the market value, especially if a property was purchased long ago, at a much lower price than it could be purchased for today. It is this lower assessed value upon which the cost of a bond measure is based.
I don't have children attending local schools. How does this impact me?
Even if you do not have school-age children, supporting quality education is a wise investment. By maintaining high-quality public schools in our neighborhoods, we continue to attract new families to our community and protect our local property values.
When would a measure appear on the ballot?
The Governing Board is considering placing a measure on the November 2024 ballot. What level of support is required to pass a bond measure? At least 55% of those voters who cast a ballot on the measure must vote "Yes" on the measure for it to pass.
How can I share feedback and learn more about the potential measure?
As VUSD considers a potential school bond measure, we value your input. For more information or to ask
questions, please reach out to: Facilities Department at: localfunding@vistausd.org
Lead Contacts
The Local Funding initiative is under the oversight of the Chief Operations Officer. All general inquires about Local Funding can be sent directly to the following contacts.
Shawn T. Loescher, Ed.D.
Chief Operations Officer
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: localfunding@VistaUSD
Danica Reed
Administrative Secretary I
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: localfunding@VistaUSD
The following are contacts for committees that are working with the Chief Operations Officer on topics closely related, or directly tied, to Local Funding.
The Citizen's Bond Oversite Committee
Click here to visit the Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee.
Committee Contact Information:
cbocchair@vistausd.org or
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
VUSD Planning Team
Click here to visit the Planning team pages.
Shawn T. Loescher, Ed.D.
Chief Operations Officer
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: shawnloescher@vistausd.org
Anthony Arias
Grounds Manager
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92704
Email: anthonyarias@vistausd.org
Kevin Kirby
Maintenance Manager
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92705
Email: kevinkirby@vistausd.org
Danica Reed
Administrative Secretary I
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: danicareed@vistausd.org
Grace Chan
(Project Professional Corps. Partnership Provider)
Director of Bond Construction (Measure LL) & Long Range Planning
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: grace@ppc-sd.com
Long-Range Facility Master Plan
Click here to visit the long-range facility master plan pages.
Shawn T. Loescher, Ed.D.
Chief Operations Officer
(760) 726.2170 ext. 92702
Email: shawnloescher@vistausd.org
Danica Reed
Administrative Secretary I
760.726.2170 ext. 92702
Email: danicareed@vistausd.org
Grace Chan
(Project Professional Corps. Partnership Provider)
Director of Bond Construction (Measure LL) & Long Range Planning
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: grace@ppc-sd.com
Steve Prince
(Ruhnau Clarke Architects Inc. Partnership Provider)
Principal Architect
Email: sprince@ruhnauclarke.com
Kristen Rose
(Foresight, Planning, and Development Inc. Partnership Provider)
Principal Consultant
Email: krose@fpd.consulting
Measure LL
Click here to visit the Measure LL project page.
Grace Chan
(Project Professional Corps. [PPC], Partnership Provider)
Director of Bond Construction & Long Range Planning
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: grace@ppc-sd.com
Alex Preciado
(PPC, Partnership Provider)
Construction Manager
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: alex@ppc-sd.com
Christine Dowler
(PPC, Partnership Provider)
Construction Manager
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: chris@ppc-sd.com
Related Links
Related Committees
- Asset Management Advisory
- Citizens' Bond Oversight (CBOC)
- Climate Action
- Career Superhighway
Contact Us
Our Team
Chief Operations Officer
Senior District Leader to the Committee
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: email: localfunding@VistaUSD
Danica Reed
Administrative Secretary I
Secretary to the Committee
(760) 726-2170 ext. 92702
Email: localfunding@VistaUSD