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Schools

Bond Measure Likely to Pass Regardless of Election Date

Consultants projected strong support for the passage of a $196 million bond measure that would fund the district.

Public opinion researchers from Gene Bregman & Associates found that voters in Mountain View would likely pass a $196 million bond measure to fund the regardless of when the measure was placed on a ballot. 

, conducted to find out whether or not residents in the district supported the measure, would fund the Student Facilities Improvement Plan (SFIP). It was also conducted to determine whether voter support would be greater in a June or November election.

The consultants, who presented the results of the survey at the school district board meeting on Jan. 19, had originally predicted more success in a June election due to fewer items on the ballot and lower voter turnout, which would allow campaigners to mobilize a strong supporter base. However, the survey found that currently, slightly more November voters would vote yes on the measure: 66 percent (margin of error 4.9 percent) compared with 64 percent of June voters (margin of error 6.5 percent). The measure needs a majority of 55 percent to pass based on Proposition 39 rules.

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The potential voters were asked how much they would be willing to pay in property taxes per $100,000 of assessed value: $15, $22 or $30. Even at the highest tax rate, $30 per $100,000, 63 percent of both November and June voters supported the measure. Even 61 percent residents without children in the district would vote yes on the $30 tax rate, a number Bregman said is relatively high.

"There's very clearly no difference between the response in tax levels between the two different electorates," said Bregman. "Clearly, everything else being equal there's no reason not to look at June. Just the fact that you would start getting your money sooner, if not anything else."  

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The researchers interviewed 400 likely November voters, 225 who would also likely vote in June. Bregman projected that voter turnout in Mountain View for the November presidential election will be 85 percent, while in June, turnout will be 45 to 50 percent.  

The school district needs nearly $423 million, which a 2010 report estimated would be the cost to implement the SFIP. The bond measure could raise $200 million.

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