MCSD Board Placed School Facilities Bond on November Ballot

CVV News l June 24, 2024

Merced City Schools Board places $80M school facilities bond on November ballot
Merced, CA – The Merced City School District’s Board of Education voted 4-0 at their regularly scheduled
meeting on June 25 to place a $80 million school facilities bond to improve and upgrade existing schools on
the November 5, 2024 ballot.

“It has been 10 years since we asked our community to approve a school facilities bond, which they
overwhelmingly supported,” said Allen Brooks, MCSD board president. “In order to protect our investment
in our school facilities, we must continue to invest in upgrading and improving our schools to make sure all
students have access to high-quality facilities.”

In the spring, the district gathered input from community members regarding school facilities needs during
several community meetings and an online survey. An assessment was also conducted of all MCSD schools
to identify specific facilities needs at each school to ensure they meet standards. The assessment data and
input from the community contributed to the district’s updated Facilities Master Plan, that was approved
by the board on June 25, 2024.

The Merced City Schools community overwhelmingly supported Measure M in 2014 – a $60 million school
facilities bond to address the needs of aging schools. The district was able to leverage these local bond
funds with an additional $19 million in state school facilities funds to make local taxpayer dollars go farther.
In 2025, the District will complete the final projects funded by Measure M.

Many MCSD schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s, requiring continuous upgrades and modernizations
to ensure all students have access to the best learning environment. The new proposed bond will fund
improvement projects that address safety and security, classroom environment, alleviate overcrowding, as
well as technology and air quality.