By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor

Benicia schools trustees will hear a report Thursday detailing needed facilities upgrades and a plan to finance them with a General Obligation Bond.

They’ll also hear that, according to a survey, a bond measure on a local ballot would earn majority support from Benicia voters.

Chief Business Official Tim Rahill will revisit the report he gave to the Benicia Unified School District board in November that listed three potential maintenance plans and cost estimates for each.

The plans are:

• Deferred maintenance, major repair and replacement, estimated to cost $13,294,800;

• Deferred maintenance adjusted for capital improvements — a higher level of deferred maintenance — estimated to cost $32,664,804; and

• Deferred maintenance adjusted for capital improvements and new construction, or facility needs that would be new to the district, with an the estimated cost of $49,611,259.

In November the board authorized a survey to determine the feasibility of putting a bond measure on the ballot in either June or November 2014. Last month, Jon Isom of Isom Advisors, a Walnut Creek firm, presented the results of the survey, which found that a majority of Benicia voters would vote yes on such a bond measure.

The measure would need to be approved by 55 percent of voters to pass.

The abbreviated form of the ballot measure reads:

“To improve the quality of educaiton; modernize classrooms, restrooms and school facilities; repair or replace roofs; increase student access to computers and modern technology; replace temporary portable classrooms; make health, safety, and security improvements; and improve athletic fields and facilities for school and community use, shall the Benicia Unified School District issue $49,600,000 of bonds at legal interest rates, have an independent citizens’ oversight committee and NO money used for administrative salaries or be taken by the state?”

The trustees have indicated they would like to discuss the bond measure at their next two board meetings, including Thursday, with a goal of getting the measure on the June 3 ballot.

If You Go
The BUSD Board of Trustees will meet at 6 p.m. in a closed session, and at 7 p.m. in open session at the BUSD District Board Room, 350 East K St.

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