Several Santa Clara County school districts will receive more revenue thanks to resounding voter approval of bond measures and parcel taxes.
Four bond measures and two parcel tax proposals are anticipated to provide millions of dollars to repair old buildings, build affordable workforce housing and expand student programs. The measures are all slated to pass, even with approximately 21,000 uncounted ballots as of Thursday.
Bond measures need 55% to pass, while parcel taxes require two-thirds or 66.67% to pass.
Measure P — Campbell Union High School District
Measure P, a $474 million bond measure with 64.4% voter approval, will generate about $27.5 million annually until fiscal year 2053-54.
The funds will replace portable classrooms, modernize classes for STEM activities and improve safety with perimeter fencing and security cameras. The district serves roughly 8,600 students in Campbell, San Jose and Saratoga.
Mairead O’Keefe, who has two children in the district and served on the measure’s campaign committee, said even though her children won’t directly benefit from the funding, it’s vital to support local school measures for future students.
“As a community, it’s important that we support every single student, whether we have kids in the district, in private schools or no kids at all,” she told San José Spotlight. “High schools are a centerpiece of the community. They’re a point of pride in the community.”
Campbell Union High School District last placed a measure on the ballot in 2022, asking voters to renew Measure O’s $85 parcel tax. It sailed through with 75.9% approval.
Measure R — San Jose Unified School District
Measure R, one of the largest school bond measures at $1.15 billion, is slated to pass with about 64% of the vote. The measure will sunset in fiscal year 2054-55.
The San Jose Unified School District plans to spend the money building and supporting employee housing, renovating buildings constructed decades ago and repairing athletic facilities. The money will support about 25,000 students at the district’s 41 schools.
Brian Wheatley, a school board member, said he appreciates the community’s support because the measure was a big lift with lofty numbers. He’s a proponent of employee housing.
“(Housing is) the biggest issue we’re facing in this valley,” he told San José Spotlight. “We have to be able to house our people because we want everybody to be able to live here and stay.”
Measure N — East Side Union High School District
East Side Union High School District’s $49 parcel tax has sailed by with about 72.6% of the vote. The tax will begin in fiscal year 2025-26 and continue for five years, generating about $6.4 million per year. A citizens oversight committee will monitor it to ensure funds aren’t misused.
The tax’s funds aim to expand college readiness and vocational courses and attract and retain good teachers, while supporting competitive wages. The East San Jose district serves about 21,500 students at 27 schools.
Pattie Cortese, school board president, said the funding is vital when public schools statewide, many of which rely on attendance numbers for state funding, are experiencing enrollment drops.
“My hope for our kids has always been that they leave our schools with big dreams for their future,” she told San José Spotlight. “This money will help us to continue to provide a space for students to discover what their life could be.”
Measure Z — Cupertino Union School District
Cupertino Union School District’s $347 million bond measure is expected to pass with about 60.8% of the vote.
The measure, sunsetting in fiscal year 2055-56, will repair leaky roofs, renovate school libraries and media centers and improve mental health services on campus. The district serves about 13,500 students in Cupertino, Saratoga, San Jose, Santa Clara, Los Altos and Sunnyvale.
District spokesperson Erin Lindsey said Measure Z’s probable success indicates a supportive community.
“The successful passing of Measure Z is a direct result of the community’s belief in the importance of education and its role in shaping our children’s future,” she told San José Spotlight.
Measure W — Franklin-McKinley School District
Measure W, a $192 parcel tax with a 3% annual increase, is passing with about 77.1% of the vote. The tax will begin in July 2025 and continue for nine years, generating about $3.3 million per year. A citizens oversight committee will monitor it to ensure funds aren’t misused.
The tax is set to replace two sunsetting parcel tax measures that would otherwise expire in 2026. The new monies will restore performing arts and music programs for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, expand tutoring and counseling for at-risk students and maintain small class sizes for students at 16 San Jose schools.
George Sanchez, school board president, said the money is critical when public schools aren’t receiving federal funding like they did during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Funding very much drives the curriculum in our schools, the material we can buy, the monies we can offer our teachers so we have competitive salaries,” he told San José Spotlight.
Measure CC — Los Gatos Union School District
The $163 million bond measure has about 66.2% of the vote and will end by fiscal year 2057-58.
The money from Measure CC will go toward safety improvements, building upgrades and the addition of transitional kindergarten classrooms. The Los Gatos Union School District serves about 2,650 students at five schools.
Superintendent Paul Johnson said the buildings’ ages are starting to show. He added the new cash flow will help move repairs along faster.
“The upgrades to our schools will benefit the entire town of Los Gatos,” he told San José Spotlight. “Strong, well-maintained schools contribute to increased property values for all residents.”
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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