Lodi voters will soon decide whether to hand their local school district $195 million to fix leaky roofs, aging plumbing and outdated electrical systems across its campuses. The bond measure, put before voters this November, also promises to fund school security upgrades and new career-training and college-prep classrooms — all while claiming it won't raise anyone's current tax rate.
What the $195 Million Would Actually Fix
According to CBS News Sacramento, Lodi voters are being asked to weigh in on the sizable bond package for Lodi Unified School District. Per the ballot language reported by Local News Matters, the money would go toward repairing leaky roofs, plumbing, deteriorating electrical and gas lines, and heating and air conditioning systems, while also improving school security and upgrading career-training and college-preparation classrooms.
The financial pitch to voters hinges on a specific promise: no estimated increase in current tax rates. The same ballot description notes that average annual levies would come in below $22 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, generating an estimated $11.4 million annually while the bonds remain outstanding.
A District With a Complicated Bond History
This isn't Lodi Unified's first attempt at asking residents to bankroll major facility work, and the district's track record is mixed. Back in 1999, voters rejected Measure Q, a proposed $122 million bond that would have paid for new schools, as the outlet reported in its coverage of the aftermath.
That defeat rattled more than just school officials at the time. Local leaders worried that the same anti-tax sentiment that sank the school bond might also doom funding for proposed police and fire facilities, according to the report.
What Remains Unknown
Whether Lodi voters will approve this latest $195 million ask remains to be seen, and no current polling, turnout projections, or updated enrollment figures were available to indicate how the vote might go.
