$81 Million Tax Bond Measure Passes

UPDATE June 6, 12:01 a.m.: The final election night reports from the San Mateo County Election Office show that the 55% approval required for Measure S was reached. Measure S has passed with 55.3% approval from local voters yet the results still need to be certified by San Mateo County Election officials, and could change if any uncounted votes are tallied.

Measure S will issue $81 million in bonds to help repair and upgrade schools in the Cabrillo Unified School District.

"Once again our Coastside community has come through for its children and its schools when it counted the most," said Rob Gaskill, Cabrillo Unified School District superintendent. "We are extremely relieved and thankful. We are not out of the woods just yet but Measure S will help us on several fronts — by protecting the investment we have made in our school buildings and grounds; by ensuring that our students have access to cutting edge technology; and by conserving precious program dollars by implementing new energy-conserving measures. It's a good day for public education and the children our schools serve so well."

CABRILLO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT MEASURE S

(55% APPROVAL REQUIRED)

Measure

Votes By Mail

Early Voting

Election Day

Grand Total Votes

BONDS YES (55.28%)

1,673

15

1074

2,762

BONDS NO (44.72%)

1,521

18

695

2,234

-----

UPDATE June 5, 11 p.m.: The results show 54.98 percent for Measure S.

-----

UPDATE June 5, 10:45 p.m.: The San Mateo County Election Office was showing only 52.3 percent for the measure. But Measure S supporters at the polls say there's still a good chance they'll reach the required 55 percent majority with precinct results that could come down to those last votes. The San Mateo County Election officials will have to confirm the results with any uncounted votes tallied.

"If Measure S passes today the community has arrived at a tipping point that will piece together many of the various interests into one great plan," said Cabrillo Unified School District school board member John Moseley. "The school's plan to update buildings, invest in solar technology, building a community swimming pool, then finally a performing arts center will vault the Coastside community into it's own defined persona. No longer will we be a bedroom community for the greater San Mateo County."

-----

Measure S, an to repair Cabrillo Unified School District facilities and provide computers and other technology, has elicited passionate debate amongst its supporters and opponents.

If approved, Measure S will allow the school district to borrow $81 million to complete basic classroom repairs and equip all schools with updated learning technology and science labs to prepare students for college and careers. The debt would be repaid over a 40-year period. It will cost about $45 per year in additional property taxes for each $100,000 of assessed valuation.

Tonight, Coastsiders will learn the fate of the first tax bond measure for local schools that supporters are hoping will pass.

Friends of Cabrillo Unified School District, the committee supporting Measure S, organized phone banks and precinct walks for the last push to remind supporters to vote. Lawn signs, endorsement lists and even writing on car windows to get the Measure S message out are just a few other ways supporters are displaying their endorsement of the measure.

However, many opponents to the measure argue that more taxes on top of the parcel tax Measure E cannot solve all the district’s problems.

Got Patch? Sign up for our newsletter by clicking on the "Patch Newsletter" link on the top right of our homepage.

To receive news feeds about Half Moon Bay and the unincorporated Coastside between Montara and Pescadero, visit Half Moon Bay Patch on Facebook and "like" us here. Follow us on Twitter here.

Want to blog for us? Click here.