Murrieta Voters to Decide $359M Measure M School Bond on Nov. 3; Residents Questioned Campaign Fundraising at Board Meeting
Murrieta — Murrieta is a city in Riverside County, California. Voters in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District will decide Measure M in the November 3 general election, a proposed $359 million general obligation bond for repairing and upgrading district schools. According to Citizen Portal's record of the school board's October 14 meeting, multiple speakers criticized the Measure M campaign's fundraising, citing about $237,600 reported raised from 42 entities with few local donors, and argued the bond could add to residents' tax burden.
The board voted 4-0 in May to place the bond on the November ballot. Under the district's plan, the tax rate would remain at the current $60 per $100,000 of assessed value as three existing district bonds roll off; the measure requires 55 percent voter approval to pass.
The district says the funds would repair aging facilities: it recorded more than 125 roof leaks over the past year, and aging air-conditioning systems increasingly fail to keep up during extreme heat. Proceeds would also go to plumbing, electrical and safety systems and to upgrading classrooms, science labs and career-technical facilities. Board President Nicolas Pardue said at the May meeting that the state funding formula forces districts to turn to bonds, while the community expects high-quality facilities. The district office is at 41870 McAlby Court in Murrieta.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Murrieta Valley High School运动场上的校徽（资料图），该校为Murrieta Valley联合学区旗下高中之一。图片来源：Dgjin，Wikimedia Commons，CC0。Photo: The Murrieta Valley High School logo on its athletic field (file photo). Image: Dgjin, via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
