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CUSD, Hughson & Keyes voters say ‘yes’ to tax increase to fix up schools
Mae Hensley roof
A roof at the Mae Hensley Junior High School campus is one of the priority projects to be funded from the $114 million in bond proceeds which were approved by CUSD voters in Measure U. Ceres High School classrooms are also on the Phase 1 rehab list. - photo by Jeff Benziger

Voters in the Ceres Unified School District approved Measure Y last week that will increase assessments on property tax bills to improve Ceres school campuses.

In unofficial vote counts, the bond measure met the 55 percent approval threshold by receiving 7,268 yes votes (64.34 percent) to 4,029no votes (35.66 percent). 

Passage clears the way for CUSD to issue $114 million in bonds to repair or upgrade Ceres elementary, middle, and high schools; improve campus safety and security systems; repair or replace leaky roofs, upgrade outdated heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical systems; repair or replace deteriorating portable classrooms; and update classroom equipment and learning technology.

The “Ceres Unified School District Campus Safety / Classroom Repair Measure” will levy $60 per $100,000 of assessed property value annually for approximately 30 years. The tax bill for the median tax assessment value of $238,855 in Ceres will pay about $140 per year. Those with an assessed value of $300,000 will pay an extra $180 on their annual property tax bill.

“We are actually in the process of designing for the first phase projects,” said CUSD Supt. Amy Peterman. “We’ve been working on getting teed up so that as soon as the bond passes we can get moving. We know that there were a lot of bonds on the ballot this election and so we didn’t want to be behind other districts so we are ready to go. We’ve got several architects selected who are working on some designs for us right now.”

As soon as the bond money rolls in, CUSD will be ready to hire contractors.

Phase I projects include:

• Replacement of a roof at Mae Hensley Jr. High School;

• Replacing portable classroom buildings (some 30 to 40 years old) at Carroll Fowler, Virginia Parks and Sam Vaughn elementary schools and Argus High School;

• Replacing portable classrooms at Ceres High School and modernizing the main hall classrooms (classrooms 1-16).

“We’ll be prioritizing classrooms over other meeting spaces,” said Kristi Britton, CUSD’s assistant superintendent of Business Services.

The district must wait to see costs of phase I before prioritizing projects for the second phase, said Supt. Peterman.

 “We have a total of $175 million worth of projects and only a $114 million bond,” she added.

Britton said CUSD will be “leveraging as much state dollar matches as we can.” Prop 2 also passed which provides for more school facilities funding through the state issuance of bonds. The district will have to wait to see if it’s eligible to get those state dollars.

Peterman said the campaign to pass Measure U was done through a volunteer committee which sent out mailers and texts to voters. Campaigning involved community members and district employees but all of it was done outside of district time.


Hughson, Keyes approvals

Voters in the Hughson Unified School District approved Measure B to issue $46 million in bonds for school improvements. Measure B passed with a 59.16 percent majority (2,337 votes) to 40.84 percent “no” (1,613 votes). To pay off the bonds at a rate of $2.9 million annually, property owners will see tax levies averaging $60 per $100,000 assessed value.

Those living in the Keyes Fire Protection District overwhelmingly voted to support Measure H for a new fire station. The bond measure passed by a margin of 74 percent (1,295 votes), to 26 percent (455 votes). It enables the district to issue $7 million in bonds to build a new fire station and buy firefighting equipment. Keyes property owners will pay the annual tax needed to repay the principal and interest on the bonds at $29 per $100,000 of assessed valuation expected to be collected until 2055-2056. The estimated maximum tax rate is $38 per $100,000 of assessed valuation with a levy starting in fiscal year 2026-27.

Voters in the Keyes Union School District also approved Measure U for the benefit of school campuses. The measure passed with 70.27 percent (943 votes) in favor and 29.73 percent (399votes) against. The district will issue $8.5 million in bonds with the impact to property owners being approximately $29 extra per $100,000 in assessed value on their property tax bills.

Stanislaus County voters approved Measure P to implement a cannabis business tax in the county’s unincorporated areas of up to 4 percent of gross receipts, 8 percent retail gross receipts, the greater of 4 percent cultivation gross receipts or $8 per canopy square foot. The measure is expected to generate approximately $1.7 million annually. Measure P received 67.65 percent approval to 32.35 percent in opposition.