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Central Unified tries again with bond measure
Central Unified voted unanimously Tuesday to pursue a $152 million school bond in the Nov. 4 election and has hired a San Francisco firm to help.
In the June 3 election, a similar school bond fell 16 votes short of passing. Supporters blamed the poor economy and low election turnout.
Measure E appeared to have barely passed on Election Day, but after about 1,000 provisional ballots were counted in the weeks following, the measure received 54.79% voter approval, just short of the required 55%.
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Central Unified bonds a tough sell
After a Central Unified school bond measure failed by 16 votes in June, proponents stepped up efforts in hopes of convincing voters to approve a similar initiative in November.
Since June, however, the economy has spiraled downward, making a bond-measure property tax increase a harder sell. And Central District farmers who opposed the June bond measure hope to block this initiative as well.
Measure B, on the Nov. 4 ballot, would generate $152 million and cost property owners in the district a maximum of $60 per $100,000 of assessed value a year. The bond would be paid off in 20 years.
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Sierra Unified race heats as funds wither
Sierra High, in the mountain community of Tollhouse in northern Fresno County, used to be known as the school with the gold door knobs -- a facetious reference to its wealth.
But the high school and the rest of Sierra Unified School District are struggling now because of declining enrollment and cuts in state and federal funding. For the first time since the district unified in 1992, voters will be asked to approve school bonds in the upcoming election.
"We're feeling a bit of desperation and want to preserve what we have," said board member Don Fowler, who is running for his fifth term in the Nov. 4 election.
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Berg is Central Unified superintendent
Central Unified School District has chosen one of its own -- Michael Berg -- as the district's new superintendent.
The board of trustees voted unanimously to hire Berg, who had been Central Unified's assistant superintendent and chief business officer, over seven other candidates. The decision came after a special board meeting on Saturday.
Berg, 47, joined Central in 2004 and has spent more than 26 years in education. His career includes more than two decades at Fresno Unified School District, where he last worked as director of facilities and management planning.
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Central Unified narrowly approves $152 million bond measure
Voters in Porterville put their trust in God on Tuesday, while in other Valley communities voters passed measures to build new schools.
The rapidly expanding Central Unified School District in northwest Fresno will construct four new schools, while tiny Stone Corral Elementary School on the outskirts of Visalia will have money for much-needed updating.
But the most unusual measure before central San Joaquin Valley voters was in Porterville, where community members approved a new official motto: "In God We Trust."
With a month to go before the election, a consultant hired to help get a $152 million school bond passed in Central Unified said the campaign is going well, despite the poor economy.
Trustee Cynthia Berube said after a school board meeting Tuesday that there has been some concern that the campaign has not been high profile enough, fueling worries that the bond measure will fail, as a similar one did in June.
The Central Unified School District has placed Measure B on the Nov. 4 ballot to finance new schools and refurbish older ones after Measure E failed by 16 votes, falling just short of the required 55% voter approval. The proposed 20-year bond would cost property owners in the district a maximum of $60 a year per $100,000 of assessed value.
During an update to the board Tuesday, San Francisco school finance consultant Dale Scott said fundraising and support were on target.
The board wanted a more aggressive campaign the second time around, hiring Dale Scott & Co. in July to conduct polling, come up with a campaign strategy and handle other Measure B issues. The district capped the cost for the consultant at $25,000 and said it would use developer fee money to pay for the work.
Scott has also been working under a separate contract with Yes On B for Better Schools, a citizens committee lobbying for the measure.
Board members and district employees are prohibited by law from getting involved in the campaign, but staff members have attended about 50 parent club meetings, school open houses and other district events to explain the bond measure.
Measure B would be used to finance a new high school, middle school and two elementary campuses, as well as improvements at existing schools. Central Unified, with 14,300 students, is centered in northwest Fresno, mostly west of Highway 99.
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