San Bernardino: No on Measure N, $1 Billion+ Bond Debt

Source: San Bernardino Unified School District Annual Financial Report

This was a very hard decision for me to make. But as I dug through the documents, it became more apprent to me that $230M dollars and the interest service payments required was just too step a price a pay for San Bernardino residents.

A $140M+ bond measure was approved by in 2004 and the voters are still servicing that debt. The 2004 bond was used to build schools and remove asbestos. That is the very same thing that Measure N would do in addition to providing additional security measures and equipment upgrades.

This is why it was hard for me to vote no on Measure N. SBUSD kids need help: Our Math Skill Proficiency is at 60% 37%, our API is dropping, and more cuts are coming if Prop. 30 doesn't pass. This is trifecta of trouble!

However,  I point to the chart above which is pulled from SBUSD financial statements. The total debt owed is $403,803,838 dollars! If this Measure passes it will push up outstanding debt to $633M+ and that is without interest. With interest I would imagine our bond debt soaring above $1 Billion dollars.

I do not want to see our schools being taken over by state officials with no understanding of how our school system works. State officials care only about one thing: stabilizing our bottom line, with little regard for our children's education coming to a close second.