Ballot Recommendation:

This November, the Chula Vista Elementary School District will ask voters to approve a $90 million dollar bond to “increase student access to computers and modern technology; replace temporary classrooms; upgrade heating systems; and make energy cost-saving improvements.” They will also create a School Facilities Improvement District that will encompass the 31 schools on the West side of Chula Vista where the bond monies will be spent.

The question is: are these improvements needed now? Is it okay to ask voters to pay more in taxes during these hard economic times when aforementioned improvements are not critical?

Our answer to these simple questions is NO!

In 1998 the community passed a similar bond of $95 million dollars to improve schools on the West side, to upgrade the schools (at a time when these upgrades were critical) and improve the schools for the future. These projects were completed in 2005 and now just 7 years later these same schools are once again in need of upgrades?

It could well be that these older schools need the technological upgrade, but is it crucial at this time? Do the taxpayers need to pay an additional tax, on top of the tax they are already paying for the $95 million already spent?

The Chula Vista Elementary School District has not given its most valuable asset, their teachers, a raise in years and has asked them to pay more out of pocket money for benefits. It has asked them to do more with less. Shouldn’t the District itself lead by example and do more with less instead of burdening the tax payer with more taxes for the bells and whistles of education?

The Board should never have put this bond on the ballot, not so soon after the last bond measure and not when the majority of the residents are facing tough economic times. The school district should follow the example of their teachers and pull their economic belt tighter until the economy improves.

We recommend a NO Vote on Prop. E Chula Vista Elementary School District.