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Moreland School District |
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Superintendent's Message - June 2013The end of another school year is near, but we are still very busy -- in and out of the classroom. This past Tuesday, June 4, we hosted a Town Hall meeting in the Moreland Middle School cafeteria to hear from you, our community, and answer one simple but critical question. Do we increase the tax rate on assessed property values so we can issue nearly $30 million in bonds approved by the voters in 2010, or do we delay for more than a decade the work we promised to voters just three years ago? In 2010, voters passed Measure K, approving the issuance of $55 million in general obligation bonds here in Moreland for school improvements and a technology endowment. Thus far, we have used a little less than half of that money. Because of a pending change in state law with respect to Capital Appreciation Bonds (CABs), we will be unable to issue any further bonds for more than a decade, unless we increase the tax rate on assessed property values. This is a critical issue. Without the tax increase, we will be prevented from delivering on all of the improvements promised when the bond measure was passed. We will not be able to issue up to $30 million of the authorized bonds for more than a decade. This will greatly decrease the value of the money borrowed through the bonds, and greatly delay improvements that were promised long ago. This will also greatly slow the deployment of new technology, now and in the decade ahead. An increase in the tax rate will ultimately save taxpayers almost $70 million by paying off our bond obligations sooner – much like saving interest payments by paying off a residential mortgage sooner. We understand that this is a significant decision for our community, and we want to share the details with you and get your feedback. We will convene more meetings in the near future. If you have any questions or comments in the meantime, please feel free to contact us at (408) 874-2900 or tdelacruz@moreland.org. We are also seeking your feedback on another front. We are circulating perception surveys to students, staff, parents and community members. Most of these surveys have already been distributed through our school communities. The community member survey has gone out to neighborhood groups, and is now available at www.moreland.org. Please take a moment to fill out this short survey, which will give us critical feedback on the quality of customer service we provide across the school district. I hope the school year ends on a very positive note for you and your children. I wish you a fun and restful summer, and we will be ready to welcome you back in August. Sincerely, Mark Barmore
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Mark Barmore 2012-2013 2012-13 School Year Spanish Read previous messages |
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