Measure B

As the local provider of TK-8 public education, our school district has two key priorities: first, to ensure academic success for every one of our 7,648 students; and second, to make sure that our schools are healthy, safe, secure, technologically current, well maintained, and equipped to provide WSD students with the very best educational setting possible.

Despite the outstanding instruction provided in WSD schools, most of our neighborhood schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s and are now 60 to 70 years old. While they are well maintained, they need significant repairs and upgrades. Last year alone, 135 classrooms and school facilities had leaky roofs. Plumbing, gas lines, HVAC, and electrical systems need rehabilitation, and some restrooms have not been updated since they were constructed 70 years ago. The District also has more than 150 portable classrooms that are over 20 years old; many are falling apart, with structural damage and water leaks that can lead to mold. The true need far exceeds our limited state-allocated facilities budget — the District has identified over $730 million in unmet facility needs. If approved by voters, Measure B provides the funding to begin addressing the identified Westminster School District facilities and technology needs.

Measure B Project Summary:

• Upgrade classrooms for modern science, technology, engineering, arts and math instruction.
• Repair/replace failing roofs, HVAC, gas/sewer lines, plumbing and electrical systems.
• Provide labs, technology and hands-on science equipment so students can properly prepare for high school, college, jobs, and careers.
• Update school restrooms constructed 70 years ago.
• Renovate outdated classrooms for music, visual, and performing arts instruction.
• Replace aging portables with modern, permanent classrooms.
• Improve school safety/security - fencing, cameras, intruder protection, emergency communications, smoke detectors, fire alarms, sprinklers, etc.

If approved by voters, a $128 million bond translates to about $30.00 per year for every $100,000 of assessed valuation. The assessed valuation refers to taxable value, not the market value of your home. The taxable value of your home or business will depend on when you purchased it. If Measure B is approved, the typical homeowner in our school district would pay about $143 a year, or $11.92 a month. You can visit octreasurer.com to look up your property’s assessed value. The final fiscal year in which the tax to be levied to fund this bond issue is anticipated to be collected is fiscal year 2060-61.

“To provide safe, modern schools by repairing, upgrading and equipping aging classrooms, labs, instructional technology, and school facilities to support student achievement in math, science, technology, arts and engineering; fixing deteriorated roofs, plumbing, HVAC, electrical systems; and improving school safety/security systems; shall Westminster School District’s measure authorizing $128,000,000 in bonds at legal rates be adopted, levying $30 per $100,000 assessed value ($8,000,000 annually) while bonds are outstanding, with citizen oversight, independent audits, and all money locally-controlled?”

Yes. Most of our schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s and are now 60 to 70 years old. Some classrooms have never been updated since they were built, and some restrooms are original to buildings constructed 70 years ago. Some of our schools were built so long ago that they do not meet modern health codes or building safety codes, and do not provide proper access for students with disabilities. It is time to make essential repairs and improvements so our schools can serve our community well for the decades to come.

Yes. District facilities staff work hard to maintain our neighborhood schools and keep them in good working condition with limited resources. However, the reality is that the types of repairs, renovations, and upgrades our schools now need go far beyond the scope and means of regular school maintenance budgets. Passing a local school bond is the most common way California communities fund the upgrades we need.

Yes. The District recently completed a detailed analysis and update to our WSD Facilities Master Plan, shaped by extensive community input: 35 stakeholder meetings, more than 1,000 feedback surveys and conversations, a community mailer sent to 26,389 WSD households, and multiple public board meetings on facilities. The Facilities Master Plan reflects a full assessment of school facility needs — including classroom structures, student support facilities, school equipment, and infrastructure — at every site. Every school site has facility needs, and Measure B would improve facilities at every site.

Yes. There are more than 150 portable classrooms at our schools that are more than 20 years old. Many are falling apart, with structural damage and water leaks that can lead to mold. They are deteriorating and past their useful life, and it is more expensive to keep repairing these units than to replace them. We need additional funding to replace these portables with modern, permanent classrooms that meet today’s academic standards.

Good schools are the foundation of any healthy, thriving community. Good schools make our neighborhoods desirable places to live and support our property values. Studies show that home resale values benefit as neighborhood schools are improved. The longer we wait to complete needed upgrades, the more expensive they will become.

All 17 Westminster School District school campuses would benefit from locally-controlled funding generated by Measure B. The District’s Facilities Master Plan identified needs at every school site so every school has needs worthy of Measure B funding.

Yes, commercial, industrial, and residential property owners will be subject to the same property tax levy.

Taxpayer protections are REQUIRED by law. Measure B includes a specific project list detailing how bond money may be used, an Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee, mandatory annual independent audits, and public disclosure of how all funds are spent. Every penny from this measure would go to benefit WSD schools, controlled locally, and could not be taken away by the State. None of the money from this measure can be used to increase salaries, benefits, or pensions for administrators, teachers, or any other school employees.

The short answer: very little. In general, new funds provided by the State are for instructional programs, NOT capital improvements. Moreover, in order to access a share of State facility funding, school districts MUST generate local matching funds by passing a local school bond measure. If voters approve Measure B, our schools would be eligible to receive up to $90 million in State matching money when it becomes available — funding that would otherwise go to other school districts. Passing a local bond is the best way to qualify for additional State funding, and other funding sources for major facility upgrades are extremely limited.

A Proposition 39 school bond measure can ONLY be used to fund school facility and technology improvements (capital projects — not maintenance, operations, or regular repairs). A Proposition 39 school bond requires 55% voter approval to pass. Proposition 39 school bonds prohibit the use of the funds for operations, administrator salaries, or pensions, and they require independent financial and performance audits on the use of all bond proceeds. No revenue generated by a local bond can be taken away by the State. All revenue stays local to benefit our local schools and students.

Westminster School District makes every effort to use taxpayer dollars in a prudent, responsible manner. The District’s last local school bond measure, Measure T, was approved by voters in 2016. Despite that investment and the school facilities upgrades Measure T funded, significant facility needs remain, Including: repairing deteriorating roofs, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems; upgrading restrooms and classrooms; improving safety and security systems; replacing aging portable classrooms and much more. No other funding exists to address these needs.

Unfortunately, restricted Lottery funds can only be used for classroom instruction, not technology or facility upgrades. Moreover, the money our school district receives from the Lottery each year comprises less than 2% of our annual General Fund Budget. Bottom line: Lottery funds alone cannot fund the extensive upgrades that our schools need.

All registered voters living within Westminster School District boundaries are eligible to vote on Measure B on the November 3, 2026 ballot.