Riverview superintendent outlines Feb. ballot: levies to renew operations, technology; $185.5M bond to rebuild middle school
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Summary
Riverview School District Superintendent Dr. Susan Mech told Duval council members the district is asking voters to renew two four-year levies and approve a $185.5 million capital bond on Feb. 10 to address aging facilities, safety upgrades and districtwide repairs; the package would raise property taxes about $1 per $1,000 assessed value.
Dr. Susan Mech, superintendent of the Riverview School District, told the Duval City Council on Jan. 6 that the district will ask voters on Feb. 10 to decide three separate measures: two renewal levies (an education programs and operations levy and a technology/capital projects levy) and a capital improvement bond. "These measures are about making sure that our staff have what they need to do what our kids need to make sure that they're progressing," Mech said, noting levies support staffing and programs while bonds pay for long-term building projects.
Mech said the district serves about 2,880 students with just over 400 employees and has not fully recovered pre-pandemic enrollment levels. The education levy (Proposition 1) covers recurring staffing and program gaps that state funding does not fully pay; Mech gave the example of librarians, explaining the state funding model covers only 3.5 librarian positions for a district of Riverview's size while the community expects a librarian at each of five comprehensive schools. "The levy makes up the difference in that extra 1 and a half," she said.
Proposition 2, the technology and capital projects levy, would raise just under $5 million and is split roughly three-quarters for technology and one-quarter for smaller capital and maintenance projects. Mech said there is effectively no recurring state funding for district technology needs, and many operations rely on levy dollars to maintain devices, curriculum platforms and administrative systems. The capital bond (Proposition 3) would total $185,500,000 and requires a 60% supermajority to pass; Mech said the largest bucket — about $174.2 million — would fund districtwide repairs and replacements and includes rebuilding Folt Middle School.
Mech described the middle-school campus as an aging "California model" with 11 separate buildings, 87 exterior doors at one campus and classrooms that do not meet modern instructional needs. She said consultants and facilities experts recommended a full rebuild rather than piecemeal repairs because of safety, seismic and educational adequacy concerns. The package also contains funds for upgraded playing fields, a turf field at the new middle school, improved community access and safety and security projects such as secured vestibules and perimeter fencing.
Council members asked about outreach and messaging; Mech said district staff are restricted from political persuasion under PDC rules but can provide factual presentations and a separate, independent campaign committee will handle persuasion and voter outreach. On staffing questions she confirmed the district does not have a full-time nurse in every school under the standard state model and is instead using an acuity-based staffing approach. Mech also discussed cost-sharing for school resource officers and said the district will engage on that if necessary.
The ballots will be mailed later this month. Mech said the district has a website and recorded presentations for residents to review details and FAQs ahead of voting.
