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Trustees hear bond plan showing $800M in potential campus work; agree to commission independent survey
Summary
District staff outlined how local matching funds could unlock roughly $364 million in state modernization funding (part of an $800M potential program), noted estimated homeowner impact and developer-fee shortfalls, and trustees agreed to seek independent, stratified community polling before deciding on a bond measure.
San Bernardino City Unified officials presented a facilities and bond briefing on Sept. 16 that mapped local needs and state funding opportunities and won board consensus to commission an independent community survey.
Associate Superintendent Terry Comnik and Director of Facilities Thomas Pace outlined how the 2024 state Proposition 2 school facilities bond reintroduced $8.5 billion for K–12 facilities and created categories that can be matched by local bonds. Pace said the district could be eligible for roughly $364 million in state modernization dollars and additional funding for new construction and specialized grants, creating "total funding of close to $800 million of improvements across our campuses" if a local match is raised.
Pace told trustees that unlocking the state share depends on local matches and eligibility criteria. He illustrated homeowner cost with an example: a $330 million local ask would translate to about $130 per year for the median assessed homeowner at $220,000. Trustees asked for added detail on past bond repayments; staff agreed to provide a full repayment schedule for Measure N and Measure T in a Friday update.
Board members repeatedly returned to the proposed survey. Trustees sought an independent, stratified survey that would sample across age groups, include hard-to-reach households, and allow the board to review questions and vendor candidates before selection. Miss Medina and others emphasized the need for a survey vendor not tied to bond campaigns.
Other technical points brought up in questioning: developer fees are capped by state rules (Pace cited $5 per square foot) and do not cover current construction costs that the presenters estimated at roughly $20 per square foot; some campuses have infrastructure costs exceeding 50% of replacement value and many portables are decades old.
What happens next: Staff will provide the Measure N/T repayment schedules and return with two-to-three survey vendor proposals and refined cost priorities. Trustees asked that the survey be stratified to reflect fixed-income households and younger prospective homebuyers, and that potential ballot-timing and costs be analyzed.
Quotes are drawn from the facilities presentation and trustees' remarks during Q&A.
