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Districts ask for taxpayers' help: Nearly $1 billion in bonds on November ballot
(Daily Press (Victorville, CA) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 30--Local education bonds totaling nearly $1 billion combined are up for a vote on the November ballot.
Four districts are asking for money to improve facilities, minimize overcrowding and boost student safety:
--Helendale School District
--Victor Elementary School District
--Victor Valley Union High School District
--Victor Valley Community College District.
The Victor Valley Union High School District is requesting a $500 million bond that would build new facilities, repair infrastructure and install security systems districtwide.
The VVUHSD bond would modernize existing facilities, such as Victor Valley High School, which has had "very few" updates since it was built in the 1950s, said Superintendent Julian Weaver.
"When you look at the Victor Valley Union High School District compared to other districts up here in the High Desert, we don't stack up very well at all in terms of the quality of facilities," Weaver said.
About $120 million of the bond money would go toward building Adelanto High School, according to Weaver. The VVUHSD bond would also fund the construction of an additional high school and two middle schools over the next 12 to 15 years.
Another bond attempt comes from the Helendale School District, which sent a $20 million bond to the ballot that would upgrade security systems, repair existing campuses and build new facilities, including a high school science lab, a kindergarten complex and a district food service center.
The HSD bond would also go toward construction of new computer labs and help equip classrooms with more LCD projectors and smart boards.
"We really want to take technology to the next step and have students use it every part of their day," said Superintendent Brian Dietz.
A third bond measure has been requested by the Victor Elementary School District, which sent a $150 million bond to the ballot that would reduce overcrowding and accommodate new growth by building up to seven new schools.
The VESD bond would also be spent on security and technology upgrades and campus additions, including new running tracks throughout the district and rubberized material underneath playground equipment.
Finally, Victor Valley College submitted a $297.5 million bond that would build a work force development center in Hesperia and public safety training facility in Apple Valley, fund campus improvements and retire past debts.
Every general obligation bond up for vote in November will need 55 percent of voters' approval to pass.
To see more of the Daily Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.vvdailypress.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, Daily Press, Victorville, Calif.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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