Rocklin Unified board approves feasibility survey to gauge voter support for school facilities bond

The Rocklin Unified School District board on a unanimous vote approved a feasibility survey to test community support for a potential facilities bond and other financing options to address aging campuses.

Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Stallber presented the plan, saying the district’s facilities master plan approved May 15, 2024 identified roughly $58 million in projects authorized by the board and additional needs that exceed $250 million. "We'd like to discuss a feasibility survey for financing school facility needs," Stallber told trustees, noting the survey would provide likely-voter data on willingness to support different measure levels.

Why it matters: the district’s general fund is heavily occupied by salaries and routine maintenance requirements, so large-scale modernization typically requires local voter approval and, where eligible, matching state funds. Stallber explained that a bond would also create eligibility to seek state modernization reimbursements, but those reimbursements are paid after local spending and can arrive years later.

What the survey will do: trustees were told the vendor would survey a statistically valid sample of likely voters to assess perceptions of facility needs and test support for measures at varying price points. The estimated cost discussed at the meeting was "anywhere between $25,000 and $35,000," and the board directed staff to plan a September study session with the survey vendor and expected an October report-back timeline.

Trustees pressed for details on how state reimbursement works and tax impacts on homeowners. A trustee noted philosophical concerns about placing additional burdens on taxpayers while acknowledging the district’s aging facilities; another trustee asked about current bond expirations and whether levies would decline if existing bond debt finishes in 2027–28. Stallber said the district has two issuances from a prior measure that will be fully paid in August 2027 and August 2028, respectively, and that under Proposition 39 a new bond carries a 55% approval threshold and a statutory cap typically described as $60 per $100,000 of assessed value.

Next steps: the board approved the feasibility survey by roll call and asked staff to schedule a short pre-September study session with the vendor so trustees could review survey content before execution. No ballot measure was put before voters at this meeting; the vote authorized only the survey and related preparatory work.