For generations, Visalia families have walked the halls of our schools. These are places where students have made lifelong friends, discovered their passions and prepared for their futures. But many of the schools that have served our community so well are now showing their age.
More than 70% of VUSD schools are over 50 years old, and 87% of our portable classrooms have exceeded their useful lifespan. Last year alone, our maintenance teams responded to 383 roof leaks.
These challenges aren’t new, and neither is our community’s commitment to addressing them.
In 2018, Visalia voters approved Measure A, building on the investment made through Measure E. Since then, Measure A has helped us deliver modernized science facilities, modernized gymnasiums, technology upgrades and safety improvements across our schools. Projects are also moving forward at Houston and Veva Blunt elementary schools, with additional modernization work that will deplete these funds already in development across our four comprehensive high schools.
That progress matters, and so does our management of the resources entrusted to us.
Through refinancing and restructuring our existing bonds, we have also saved Visalians approximately $157 million in debt payments over the repayment period compared with the original plans. In addition, our teams secured over $60 million in state matching funds that have helped provide further facility improvements.
Measure A funds have been subject to oversight by a community-based Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee and annual external audits. Those audits have consistently resulted in zero findings. We are proud of that record, but responsible stewardship also means being honest about what remains. Our current bonds have allowed us to modernize and make improvements across half of our 42 schools, and yet an external facility audit identified more than $600 million in additional work still needing urgent attention.
The highest-priority needs require action today, while others will continue to emerge as time goes on and our aging buildings and infrastructure deteriorate.
Our maintenance teams work diligently on repairs and keep our schools operational, but, there is a difference between maintaining aging infrastructure and addressing the underlying problems. A roof can be patched, but eventually it needs to be replaced. A portable classroom can be maintained, but it cannot serve students forever.
That is why our Board unanimously placed Measure Z on the November ballot, a proposed $158 million local education bond. If approved by voters, the measure would provide local funding to continue addressing aging infrastructure, including roofs, plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems, replacing aging portable classrooms and modernizing learning environments.
We recognize that any investment must be considered carefully by our community. Today, VUSD’s bond tax rate is far below other local communities, and it is directly tied to the needs we see in our aging schools and infrastructure. If Measure Z is enacted, the tax rate would be $40 per $100,000 of assessed (not market) value. For a homeowner with an average assessed property value of $300,000, that would amount to approximately $120 per year, or about $10 per month.
Great schools strengthen the entire community and preserve the quality of life we want in Visalia, including property values. This is about more than buildings. It is about providing every student, regardless of the school they attend, with a high-quality education, because when they succeed, our community succeeds.
We have made meaningful progress together. Our responsibility now is to be honest about what has been accomplished, transparent about what remains, and thoughtful about how we prepare our schools for the generations of students who will walk through their doors next.
I look forward to continuing that conversation with you through our upcoming meetings and campus tours. Review the progress we’ve made and what remains at engage.vusd.org and find our transparent audits at vusd.org.