Blue Ridge Unified board places $50 million bond and 15% override on the ballot after months of study and public comment

The Blue Ridge Unified School District No. 32 governing board voted unanimously to place a $50,000,000 bond question and a 15% maintenance-and-operations override on the ballot, following a months‑long planning process, facility tours and public input.

Superintendent Jonathan Roloff told the board the measures are intended to address aging HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems, make safety upgrades and shore up staff pay to retain employees. "I would recommend going for a $50,000,000 bond and the 15% override," he said, arguing a more comprehensive bond would avoid repeated requests to voters in a few years.

The board heard detailed cost and scope discussions, including examples presented by staff and advisors about how the district would prioritize work. Administrators said the technology component for student devices will be pulled from the bond and staff computers would be purchased immediately using available funds; staff estimated roughly $11 per month versus $8 per month in tax impact for the larger versus smaller bond scenarios (figures presented as examples during the discussion). Facilities staff briefed the board on specific risks seen during tours, including failing pumps and corroded piping in mechanical rooms.

Members of the public told the board they supported the measures but asked for clear, easily accessible voter materials and ongoing community involvement. "Rolling out a better web page with what the asks and costs are" would help, one commenter said, and urged the board to document how the previous bond funds were spent.

District legal counsel Jim Gill advised the board about statutory limits on using district resources for persuasion and the required voter‑information steps. "You are obligated under statute to produce a voter information pamphlet that I draft," Gill said, adding that the board cannot use district social media or other district assets to advocate but that individual board members may submit pro statements as private citizens. He also noted the board must be explicit when it votes about the dollar amount and override percentage on the ballot.

Votes at a glance • Bond question: Motion to place a $50,000,000 bond on the ballot — Passed unanimously (vote recorded in public roll call). • Override: Motion to call a special election for a 15% maintenance-and-operations override — Passed unanimously. • Consent agenda (with item 2.11 removed for separate consideration) — Approved. • Item 2.11 (personnel/position change): Motion approved to move a classified behavioral-intervention position to the junior high (position approved, not the appointment of the coach to that role); one board member recused from that vote. • FY26 revised budget: Adopted as presented. • Kinder Camp funding (United Way): Approved. • Teacher laptops purchase (Dell with five-year accidental-damage coverage): Approved.

What the measures would do and next steps According to district presentations, the bond would be used primarily for infrastructure and safety projects — replacing failing HVAC units, updating electrical systems and addressing plumbing and roof/drainage issues that staff described as nearing failure. The district also explained that some items (for example, certain school‑facilities-division projects) could be funded by the state if approved, reducing the amount the bond would need to cover.

If the board’s decisions are certified, the district must publish a voter information pamphlet with neutral, factual descriptions of the proposed questions; counsel will prepare that document. The board also discussed holding additional facility tours and outreach events to increase public familiarity with the district’s needs and the ballot materials.

Other board action and operational approvals At the same meeting the board adopted the FY26 revised budget (a statutorily required revision reflecting updated enrollment and carryforward figures), approved funding for a United Way–supported Kinder Camp program, and authorized a negotiated purchase of teacher laptops with multi‑year coverage. The superintendent and staff emphasized commitments to transparency and said they will provide detailed breakdowns of past bond spending and SFD request status on the district website and in the voter packet.

The meeting closed with a motion to enter executive session for a personnel evaluation; the board moved into the closed session after a unanimous vote.

The board is scheduled to hold its next regular meeting on June 9 at the district offices; the election timeline and deadlines for the voter pamphlet were discussed during the legal briefing.