Ed Lab: As vote totals come in, here’s how Fresno-area school bonds are doing

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Hello education readers,

Well, we’ve made it through elections — almost. While enough votes have been counted to determine our next president, local ballots are still being counted. The Ed Lab’s Monica Velez has been keeping tabs on local school board trustee races in Fresno and bond measures. Here are some highlights of last week’s election coverage and results.

Fresno-area school bond measures

Early vote counting looks promising for supporters of school bond proposals in Clovis, Central, and Sanger. School officials say the bond money is needed to help maintain school facilities and, in some cases, to build new schools.

Measure A, the Clovis Unified School District bond, had about 59.9% “yes” votes, with about 75% of the ballots counted. Measure A is a $335 million bond issue that would keep tax rates where they are for residential property owners but extend the amount of time people are taxed. That works out to $155 per $100,000 of assessed property values. Clovis Unified had a $408 million bond on the ballot in March that failed to pass.

The key project for Clovis Unified’s bond is the Terry Bradley Education Center, consisting of a new middle school and new high school on the southern end of Clovis.

The Central Unified School District bond, Measure D, had about 59% approval, with nearly 66% of the ballots counted. Central Unified also had a bond measure on the March ballot, but it didn’t pass.

Measure D is worth $120 million, and the cost to taxpayers will be $60 per $100,000 in property value. Central Unified’s bond will help pay for the new Justin Garza high school.

The Sanger Unified School District bond, Measure C, had about 57% approval, with about 67% of the ballots have been counted. Measure C is worth $150 million, which will cost $100 per 100,000 in assessed property value.

The Digital Divide: Tell us your story

The digital divide continues to be a problem in Fresno, and Ed Lab wants to learn your story.

Does your household have internet? Do you enough broadband for multiple students? Have you had to go to a cafe or restaurant to access WiFi for school?

The Education Lab is exploring a series of stories about the digital divide in Fresno County.

Last spring, readers told us about shortages of laptops and tablets among local students. Now we are asking community members, teachers, professors, and students to help us once again with our reporting.

The Ed Lab has created this short survey to understand the broadband situation teachers, students, and professors face. Please fill out and share it with others.

Thanks for helping to tell this story.

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This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 8:25 AM.