By Eric Heinz and Allison Jarrell
On April 25, CUSD Superintendent Kirsten Vital hosted a forum at San Clemente High School that identified potential funding sources to meet the estimated $800 million in facility maintenance costs required in the district.
Some of the future funding opportunities discussed include seeking Community Funded Districts and a district-wide School Facilities Improvement District, which both implement property taxes for facility funding.
The options presented April 25 were the result of a community committee consensus report, which was initially presented to CUSD in December following four meetings where committee members discussed district facilities, school funding and public information research.
At the April 27 CUSD Board of Trustees meeting, Vital summarized the findings discussed during the Monday forum, specifically focusing on the committee’s recommendation that the district “pursue all possible funding options, including studying the feasibility of a general obligation bond.” She said CUSD would be conducting a second poll “to measure the community’s possible commitment to any kind of assessment.”
“A special board workshop is being planned for May 18, for us to look at the poll results and our options moving forward,” Vital said. “I expect that the board will be examining this throughout … May and then finally in June.”
CUSD has failed at managing finances for decades. They already get mello-roos and 40% of every property tax dollars we pay. When asked for an accounting of whether San Clemente property dollars are spent in San Clemente or how it is spent we hear crickets.
CUSD now wants a more money??? Not a dime until you have full transparency and can demonstrate that you have fixed your horrible spending and accounting habits.