Paramount USD board orders school bond election after facilities needs assessment

The Paramount Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously on July 24 to order a school bond election and authorize related actions as outlined in Resolution 24‑08.

District staff presented a 2024 facilities needs assessment that grouped projects into safety/security/health upgrades, classroom modernization, and major districtwide projects. Presenters said the assessment was intended to inform a possible November 2024 general obligation bond and described phasing options, state match opportunities and community-input work completed in June.

Why it matters: District leaders said bond proceeds would address aging infrastructure across 20 sites and pay for projects such as improved ingress/egress, roofing, playground and field upgrades, ADA improvements, upgraded classrooms and career/CTE facilities. During discussion board members urged clearer communications to the community about what prior bonds accomplished, and asked for mailers and public outreach should the resolution proceed to the ballot.

Numbers and timeline mentioned at the meeting included discussion of multi-year phasing and estimates discussed during the presentation; district staff noted a possible $190 million bond sizing was under consideration for planning purposes, and described minimum/maximum scope estimates for prioritized projects.

Board members also raised community requests such as adding a competition‑grade pool to district projects; district staff said an aquatic center concept was intended to serve both schools and the broader community if included in future project lists.

What’s next: The board’s adoption authorizes staff to take necessary next steps toward placing a bond measure on the ballot and to carry out outreach; the board discussed a series of communications activities pending formal resolution language. The vote to adopt the bond‑ordering resolution was recorded as 5–0.