Measure E: ‘The community caring about the community’

By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Editor

“We’re still not home free but mathematically we’re in good shape.”

Those were the encouraging words from Dr. Paul Sevillano, the superintendent of the Rim of the World Unified School District.

Dr. Sevillano was hosting a celebration of the expected passage of Measure E, the bond that will provide funds for much-needed improvements on the district’s campuses.

The results, Dr. Sevillano noted, will not be official for 30 days. At press time, Measure E had received 7,660 “yes” votes or 60.52 percent of the total votes cast. It needed 55 percent in order to pass. According to the Registrar of Voters, there were just over 23,000 votes in the county to still be processed.

What this means for the district, the superintendent said, is that the funds raised by this bond with provide Rim students with the high-quality facilities they need and deserve.

He called Paul Bonaccorsi forward to thank him for stepping up to chair the Yes on Measure E committee.

“The legacy left behind by this committee will be felt for years to come,” Dr. Sevillano said.

He thanked the board of education for the vision they had to put the bond on the ballot. “There were some question marks when I got here as to whether it would pass,” he noted. “The energy created by the district and the committee convinced the voters that this is the right thing to do for our students.”

He thanked the committee members – individuals who spent countless hours in conversations with their neighbors and families.

Dr. Sevillano was pleased to note that 79 percent of the district staff supported the bond. “That’s pretty high; I didn’t expect that number,” he said.

He also extended his thanks and presented certificates of appreciation to a number of other people: Sivan Tuchman, who served as treasurer of the bond committee and did a lot of work with fundraising; Kimberlee Shefts, the PTA Council president who rallied parents; Jo Bonita Rains, president of the Rim of the World Educational Foundation, who asked some hard questions; Jenny Haberlin, the district’s chief business official, who gave countless hours and had lots of conversations about the next steps; the local press who shared a neutral perspective on why the bond was needed; Jackee Benson, the district’s community outreach specialist, who also wrote neutral perspectives about Measure E while saying there is a need.

Dr. Sevillano had high praise for the trustees who make up the board of education. He appreciated the time they spent on the campaign trail, pitching the bond to anyone who would listen. They also asked some key, hard questions.

Trustee Scott Craft thanked the entire community “for investing in our kids’ future.” Trustee Dana Ridland echoed that sentiment and said she appreciated the way the committee stepped up.

“It’s the community caring about the community,” said Trustee Dr. Bill Mellinger. “It’s the teachers who said we’re supportive. The community saw the value of the schools during Snowmageddon. It didn’t hurt that the temperatures went up in the fall of last year and this; parents at VOE Elementary School said we have to do something about the heat.

“We appreciate that Dr. Sevillano came on at the time with a positive perspective and the ability to listen to people.”

As for what is next, Haberlin said they will be prioritizing the improvements to be made. A bond oversight committee will be formed; she has already had a couple of people contact her about wanting to serve on that committee.

The funds raised by the bond will be used over a period of time. The district will be consulting with a financial advisor and bond advisor who will help Rim decide how many bonds to sell and when. It will most likely be late spring when they start to sell the bonds.

Taxpayers will not feel that full impact of the bond sales for years, Haberlin noted. The full $71 million will not be sold all at once.

The district will also be working to refine the master facility assessment to meet the requirements of Prop 2, which also appears to have passed. Rim expects to qualify for additional funding through Prop 2 with the passage of their own bond.