Clovis Unified says it needs $400M bond for high school, other projects. Here are details
Clovis voters might be deciding whether to approve a multi-million dollar bond measure to help pay to finish some construction projects and keep up with maintenance, including bringing district buildings up to code.
District representatives said ongoing construction at new school sites, such as the new Clovis South High, might be left undone if the bond measure is listed in the November ballot but doesn’t pass.
Clovis Unified leaders heard from Tom Cook, the chairperson of the Citizens Committee to Study Capital Facility Needs, during the last board meeting for the 2023-2024 school year on June 12.
On behalf of the committee, Cook recommended that the board include a $400 million bond measure in the ballot of next November’s election to meet the district’s capital needs for 2025 to 2028. Unlike a March 2020 bond proposal that did not pass, this version would not result in a tax increase to cover the bond payments, Cook said.
After meeting and studying the district’s needs, the committee determined that the bond measure was needed to maintain and complete ongoing or planned construction of facilities, Cook said.
To complete the construction of Terry P. Bradley Educational Center, which will house the new Sanchez Intermediate and Clovis South High schools in 2025, Cook said a “critical” amount of new money is required.
“We are in a construction project that if we do not do something, we will not be able to open the high school,” he said.
“We have to get the high school open,” he said, “it would be unacceptable not to.”
Proposed measure would not increase taxes
After Cook concluded his presentation, the board wondered how such a proposal would affect Clovis residents and whether or not this bond measure would increase taxes if passed.
Cook said the bond proposal is not a tax increase on Clovis residents.
“In fact, the taxes of our residents won’t change,” he said, but passing the bond measure – if included on the ballot – will change the community by allowing the district to complete its facilities construction projects.
In order to not increase taxes, Cook said the committee had to analyze what could be the highest asking amount without increasing the community’s tax rate, resulting in $400 million, which is actually $200 million short of what the committee believes is needed.
Cook said the committee had to decide what budgeted expenses would have to be cut in order to match the district’s facilities budget to the recommended bond measure amount.
“We cannot sustain all of the needs the district has in one fell swoop,” Cook said. “We’d very much like to, but we felt that was too big of an ask for this community.”
The proposed reductions include 50% less of the facility modernization budget estimate, 40% reduction of the building infrastructure maintenance estimate, 50% reduction in energy upgrades and a $20 million cut of potential athletic facility upgrades.
“We went over this stuff in great, great detail,” Cook said. “Unfortunately, we had over $20 million of athletic upgrades but the reality is the committee felt we couldn’t fund any of that. We had to make some tough choices.”
Board members considering proposal
Board member Yolanda Moore, who represents Area 7 which includes part of the under-construction Clovis South Area, was part of the committee.
“This was a really thorough process,” Moore said. “It was interesting to hear what the community thought our needs were compared to [...] what our actual needs are and what our community is willing to support.”
Board member Steven Fogg, who represents Area 5, questioned what is going to be different this time compared to past rejected proposal in 2020.
“It’s a lot of effort and money to pass a bond, and to have it fail was painful,” Fogg said.
Denver Stairs, Clovis Unified’s assistant superintendent of facility services, agreed he felt that pain back when he had to be the person to announce the first failure of a bond measure “in quite some time,” he said.
“The major difference is that in 2020, we were right at the beginning of COVID-19, everybody thought the world was ending,” Stairs said, “and there also was a tax increase.”
Later, in November of 2020, Cook reiterated that a bond measure then – “the largest in Clovis Unified history” – was passed.
The failed March 2020 bond proposal asked for $408 million (with a tax increase) and the approved November 2020 bond proposal asked for $335 million (which kept tax rates the same but extended the tax payment time period).
Now, with the $400 million bond proposal, he said the tax rate would be maintained at the current rate and not increased.
With his questions answered, Fogg reiterated Cook’s concerns about the district’s construction projects and called for “full support” from every community member.
“I think there is a very good chance we can pass this,” Fogg said, “but I think one of the most important things is that the message needs to get out: We will have a partially-built high school if we don’t, and that will be tragic.”
At this moment, the bond measure remains as a recommendation from the committee to the school board. Once the board reconvenes in July for their 2024-2025 school year meetings, it will consider and vote on whether or not to include it in November’s ballot for the community to approve or reject.
How the committee proposed a $400 million bond measure
The Citizens Committee to Study Capital Facility Needs was formed by 29 community members – including some district employees and local representatives – plus some of the district’s Superintendent’s Office and administrative department.
Cook assured that citizens, not the district, fully ran the committee, and that the district’s administration only provided background context and data for the committee to analyze and carry out its duties.
The committee was tasked to:
Determine facility needs and prioritize them.
Study city and county development plans.
Study tax rates and implications on the current ones to meet facility needs.
Study results of a voters’ opinion survey.
Determine if the bond measure is needed, and if needed then determine the amount the community can support.
Recommend final bond measure and projections to Clovis Unified’s administration.
“We looked at everything, not just facility needs of new construction but also modernization and code compliance,” Cook said. “The list goes on and on; we looked at all capital projects”
The committee gathered for six meetings between January through May of this year.
“We reviewed financial reports and the current financial condition of the district in great detail,” Cook said. “And on those survey results […] this community shows support to pass a bond.”
Without campaigning – or it being an official measure to be voted on yet – Cook said the committee’s surveys resulted in a 55% favorable opinion to pass this bond measure if it were to be on the ballot later this year.
Clovis Unified’s board meets again on July 17 for its first session of the 2024-2025 school year. The public can join the meeting in person at 6:30 p.m. at the district’s Professional Development Building at 1680 David E Cook Way in Clovis.