Kentfield School District provides local students with a high- quality, well-rounded education that prepares them for success in high school, college, and future careers. While we love our local schools, many classrooms and school facilities at Bacich Elementary School and Kent Middle School need repairs and upgrades.

Aging plumbing and water lines at local schools impacts student access to safe drinking water and deteriorating restrooms need to be renovated. Leaky roofs are reaching the end of their expected lifespan and need to be replaced. Campus fencing and other security improvements are needed to protect student safety.

Repairs and upgrades to schools must be funded locally because the State does not provide funding for facility improvements. Measure E provides locally controlled funding to repair and upgrade Bacich Elementary School and Kent Middle School.

Measure E funds will be used to:

• Repair plumbing for safe drinking water
• Repair or replace leaky roofs
• Fix deteriorating student restrooms
• Upgrade classrooms to keep students safe, warm, and dry
• Complete deferred maintenance to protect schools from weather damage
• Improve school technology infrastructure
• Improve campus fencing and security

By law, Measure E requires strict fiscal accountability protections, including:

• • Measure E funds must be used to repair and upgrade Bacich Elementary School and Kent Middle School only
  • Independent oversight, mandatory annual audits, and public disclosure of all spending ensures funds are spent as promised
  • By law, no funds may be used for administrators’ salaries or pensions

Because the State does not provide dedicated or adequate funding for facility repairs, these improvements must be funded locally. Measure E would provide $48 million of locally controlled funding for repairs and upgrades at Bacich Elementary School and Kent Middle School. The measure would cost property owners up to $29 per $100,000 of assessed value (not market value).

The cost of bond measures is based on the assessed value of properties. The assessed value of a property is based on the original purchase price and may not increase by more than 2% a year, while the market value tends to grow at a much faster rate based on market conditions. Thus, the assessed value is usually much lower than the market value, especially if a property was purchased long ago at a much lower price than it could be purchased for today. It is this lower assessed value upon which the cost of a bond measure is based.

Prop 2 is on the ballot statewide to create a pool of funds available to local school districts to repair and upgrade local school facilities. School districts like Kentfield School District can only access these state matching funds if they have the required local matching funds from a local bond measure like Measure E. Voting Yes on E will provide the local matching funds KSD needs to compete for our fair share of state matching money that will improve our schools at no additional cost to local taxpayers. Without Measure E, this state funding will go to improve schools in other communities. Prop 2 does not increase taxes. State bonds are repaid from state taxes we already pay.

By state law, exemptions of any kind are not allowed for school facility improvement bond measures. However, the cost of any bond is based on the assessed value of taxpayers’ properties. Seniors and other residents who have lived in their homes for a long time have the lowest assessed values and would pay the least.

Even if you do not have school-age children, supporting quality education is a wise investment. Good schools improve the quality of life in our community and protect the value of our homes.

All registered voters residing within the boundaries of Kentfield School District will be eligible to vote on Measure E during the November 5, 2024 election.

Measure E needs the support of 55% of those who vote on the measure to pass.

Ballots will be mailed to voters in the first weekend of October. To register to vote, please visit www.registertovote.ca.gov. To learn more about voting in this November’s election, please visit the Marin County Registrar of Voters at https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv or call 415.473.6456.

To get involved or for more information on how Measure E will improve local schools, please visit the About Measure E page.

No. The Kentfield Elementary School District is an elementary and middle school district and requires its own funding. Tamalpais Union District is a high school district separate from Kentfield School District. Measure E supports our youngest learners, and is for Kentfield and Greenbrae students only. Funds from Measure E can only be used on voter-approved projects in our district.

Repairs and upgrades to schools must be funded locally because the State does not provide dedicated funding for facility improvements. KSD worked with school facility experts, architects, and engineers to assess the condition of all school facilities and identify needed repairs and improvements. Measure E is the result of this expert assessment.