Schools

Ramona Voters Would Support a Bond for Local Schools, Survey Shows

The district will seek input from stakeholders.

A majority of Ramona voters would support a bond if proposed to upgrade local school facilities, according to a survey.

Results of the study were presented to Ramona Unified School District at its meeting on March 13. The district has been assessing the feasability of placing a school improvement proposition on the November 2012 ballot.

The survey, by Isom Advisors, shows a total of 60 percent of Ramona's 18,938 registered voters would vote for a bond if the election were held now, or they are leaning toward "yes." The threshold to place a bond on a ballot is 55 percent, the study notes.

Find out what's happening in Ramonawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Isom questioned 400 voters March 5-7. The survey asked whether they would support various projects that could be funded by a general obligation bond. It also asked about the quality of the district's education and it tested property owners' tolerance for an increase in taxes.

A majority of respondents believed the district provides a quality education. They also agreed that good schools help improve property values and that local voters need to do more to protect the quality of education due to state cutbacks.

Find out what's happening in Ramonawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Voters were asked whether they would support the district issuing $60 million in bonds at legal interest rates. That figure was broken down into possible monthly fees per property, based on the assessed property value. To read the possible fees and other survey information in detail, see the attached presentation that Isom made to the RUSD board.

A citizen oversight committee is proposed and none of the money could be used for administrative salaries or be taken by the state.

Upgrades that could be funded by a bond include modernizing outdated classrooms and other facilities and increasing student access to computers and other technology.

Isom recommended the board continue to assess the feasibility of a bond.

Superintendent Robert Graeff on Wednesday told Patch that he will follow up with Isom Advisors to get their recommendations on how to proceed.

"We will be reaching out to influential stakeholders—such as civic groups and business owners—to see what they think," Graeff said. "The board does not have an opinion on this one way or another. We are just in the information collecting stage."

The board would have to pass a resolution to put a bond on the ballot. The district is a couple of months away from deciding whether or not they would want to proceed with that, Graeff said.

Isom Avisors is a division of Urban Futures Incorporated.

No one from the public offered any comments on the issue at the board meeting.

We'd like to hear what Ramona voters are thinking. Please take our poll attached to this story. If you want to provide an answer that isn't listed, you may leave a comment under this story.


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