Measure N Facts

The Board’s key goals for Measure N funding are to improve the safety, security, and accessibility of our school sites and to ensure that we continue to provide high-quality learning environments for all students.

Safety:

SUSD has five school campuses listed on the State’s AB 300 Seismic/Earthquake remediation list – Cedarcreek Elementary, Emblem Academy, Rio Vista Elementary, Rosedell Elementary, and Skyblue Mesa Elementary. There are a total of 25 buildings on these campuses that structural and geotechnical engineers have determined need earthquake retrofitting or complete rebuilding to meet the requirements of current state earthquake building codes. While the buildings are currently able to be used, these experts have determined that there are issues to be addressed to ensure they remain safe in the event of a large-scale earthquake.

Security & Accessibility:

Our community prides itself in its schools being places that are secure and accessible. As we learn more about appropriately securing our school buildings from intruders, we need to continue to upgrade each facility to meet the current needs. SUSD has had at least three threat/safety assessments conducted by local law enforcement and security experts to ensure that each campus is a secure location for students, staff, and community members, but there is more needed. Ensuring our campuses are accessible to all students, staff, and community members is also critical. Updating restroom facilities, paths of travel throughout a campus/building, and ensuring appropriate classroom spaces for our youngest students (TK/4-year-olds) is something that only major facilities revisions can address.

High-Quality Learning Environments:

Continuing to ensure that our schools are high-quality learning environments for all of our students and programs is key to raising the achievement scores for all. Some sites still have 30-year-old portable buildings that need to be replaced with permanent school buildings in order to support the growing program(s) on each campus. A high-quality learning environment is also inclusive of adequate outdoor space with shade/green space for students to protect them from the high heat we experience in Santa Clarita.

The facilities Master Plan (2016) identified Phase I structural and geotechnical (soil) studies to understand the earthquake (AB 300) needs. Initial results were presented to the Board in November 2021. Additional soil analysis was approved in October 2022 and July 2024. Three district-wide threat assessments, including law enforcement and other security experts, have been completed; most recent is June 2024. A district-wide accessibility (ADA) study was approved spring 2023; completed June 2024. California early childhood education requirements drive the need to revise facilities to meet this enrolment change. Each study completed over the three years guides SUSD’s current facilities’ needs.

• Address current seismic/earthquake needs at Cedarcreek Elementary, Emblem Academy, Rio Vista Elementary, Rosedell Elementary, and Skyblue Mesa Elementary;
• Improve security by installing, 8-ft security (perimeter) fencing, mechanical surveillance and lighting systems, upgrading front office entryways, security access doors, secured single points of entry and other building security/access control systems, and modernizing basic safety systems, including, without limitation, smoke detectors, fire alarms, sprinklers and emergency communications systems, window film, automatic blinds and signage;
• Improve student/staff/driver safety and traffic circulation around schools by upgrading school parking lots and/or reconfiguring or adding school pickup/drop-off areas and parking lots and adding bollards to all drop-off and pickup areas;
• Reconfigure and/or upgrade spaces at school sites for improved use and accessibility including restrooms, kitchens, library/learning centers, multi-purpose/multi-use spaces; site walkways, paths of travel, grounds, physical education/play surfaces, playground equipment, and fencing to improve accessibility, safety, drainage, security and to add or expand green space at school campuses;
• Install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems mounted on outdoor shade structures to be used for outdoor classrooms, gathering places, and replace inefficient electrical, plumbing, sewer, heating, lighting and ventilation (HVAC) systems with more efficient systems that save energy; improve overall energy efficiency and green space access
• Replace counters and cabinets and upgrade equipment and furnishings in older school facilities;
• Replace portable classrooms with permanent school buildings;
• Modify existing classrooms to create appropriate space for early education (Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten) students.

Currently, property owners within SFID 2014-1 pay $22.11 per each $100,000 of assessed (not market) value for Measure EE passed by voters in 2014. Measure N will increase that amount by $30 per each $100,000 of assessed value.

• For example, if a home is assessed at $500,000, then the property owner would pay approximately $150 annually ($12.50/month) for Measure N. A full tax rate statement can be found in Appendix C (pg. 13) of Resolution 2024–2025 #15.

Accountability Features of Measure N

• The Education Code requires that an independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee be established to monitor the spending associated with all funds from Measure N. The oversight committee will review expenditure information and provide an annual report to the Board and the public about all Measure N spending;
• SUSD is required to conduct independent financial and performance audits of all Measure N funding;
• Funds from Measure N are only used on facilities projects and may not be used for pension costs, employee wage increases/cost or administrator salaries;
• All funds remain local and may only be used to support Saugus Union School District facilities projects;
• SUSD will post and archive all meeting dates and agendas/minutes for the Citizens’ Oversight Committee, ongoing budget and project information, specific project lists by site, Governing Board presentations, and other relevant information connected to the Measure for the life of Measure N.