Measure H Q&A
On election day, voters passed the Sonoma Valley Unified School District’s Measure H, a $40 million bond that will increase energy efficiency in all local schools, saving an estimated $1 million per year. SVUSD Superintendent Louann Carlomagno quickly responded to the yes vote with a “next steps” Q&A. Read on to learn more about what to expect next.
Q: What does passing Measure H mean?
LC: Passage of Measure H will make a significant difference to our students for years to come. We will now have the opportunity to make many more of the important decisions about managing our resources without having to be so very dependent on actions taken in Sacramento. Moreover, as we shared throughout the campaign, with the installation of solar energy, we will be decreasing our operating costs and putting that savings back into our general fund.
Q: Why did Measure H pass?
LC: Our community clearly recognizes that providing quality education is absolutely critical and they understand the ongoing need for us to have local control in terms of budgetary decisions. Our friends and neighbors recognize that we have to support our teachers, staff and administrators in order to maintain high standards for education in the Valley and to continue to meet the challenges we face going forward.
Throughout this campaign we have had wonderful contributions from parents, students, educators and community members. They volunteered by working at phone banks, putting up lawn signs, distributing bumper stickers and car magnets, standing on corners waving Measure H signs, securing endorsements and walking precincts. We also had tremendous support from our Chamber of Commerce as well as our realtors, other local businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
Deputy Superintendent, Justin Frese, and I met with numerous community groups, giving them factual presentations regarding Measure H as well as answering questions. Without exception, we felt welcomed and the questions posed were thoughtful and important. The extent of this outreach to the community and the tremendous efforts of our volunteers were critical to the success of Measure H. We continue to be thankful to our community for their support of Measure H.
Q: What are next steps?
LC: We will immediately initiate the process to issue the first series of bonds so that we can move forward with the solar installation. We hope to do this before the end of the calendar year. At the same time, we will be establishing the Citizens’ Oversight Committee for the bond expenditures. In addition, we will complete and post the Solar Request for Proposal to award an installation contract. This should be completed in the next two weeks and we anticipate the proposal being open for thirty to forty-five days.
Justin will also update the budget and multi-year projections to include solar savings and will share this with the Board of Trustees during his First Interim report in December.
