LHS District seeks members for key Oversight Committee as it begins to sell Measure L bonds

District Superintendent Debbie Muro said that the passage of Measure L puts into motion the selling of the bonds and the appointment of a seven-person Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee, which will work with the district to provide oversight as the district prepares to sell its first set of bonds in May.

Oversight Committee Application and Bylaws available at end of article

“This was a Proposition 39 bond, so the state law requires that we (LHS Board) appoint a seven-member Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee to work with the district,” said Muro. “The responsibility of the committee is to review the bond expenditures to ensure that they are spent on Measure L projects as presented to the public, to inform the public on the expenditures, and to present summary reports to the board.”

She said that members will meet no more than four times each year.

Muro said the first projects slated for approval are technology infrastructure and the painting of the main building this summer. District officials are expecting to renovate Tiger Stadium next summer, build a new athletic building with two new classrooms and remodel an existing technology building into four new engineering classrooms.

It was just last November that Lemoore voters, residing within the Lemoore Union High School District, passed Measure L.  Because it was a school bond measure it needed just a 55 percent supermajority to pass. Local voters overwhelmingly passed the measure with 65.54 percent.

School officials insisted that bond proceeds will not be used for teacher or administrator salaries and only for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement of school facilities.

School officials say the district may have access to a total of $30.5 million. In addition to the $24 million bond, the district could receive $832,000 in developer fees, $1.1 million from the district’s capital reserve fund, and possible funding from the state to the tune of $4.4 million.

Any citizen residing within the school’s district boundaries, and who meet the bond measure’s requirements, are eligible to serve. All appointments will be made by the school board from applications submitted to the district.  Applications are available from the school district and can also be downloaded on this site.

To serve on the oversight committee, prospective members need to meet the following guidelines:

• One (1) member shall be the parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the District.
• One (1) member shall be both a parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the District and active in a parent-teacher organization, such as the P.T.A. or a school site council.
• One (1) member active in a business organization representing the business community located in the District.
• One (1) member active in a senior citizens’ organization.
• One (1) member active in a bona-fide taxpayers’ association.
• Two (2) members of the community at-large.

Lemoore voters, in the 116-year history of the high school, have been generous to the local high school, passing all but one bond measure during that tenure. The only bond that failed was a 1923 general obligation bond that would have built a new high school at what is now its current site. But a year later, Lemoore’s voters had a change of heart and passed a $325,000 measure to provide the funds for the school’s main building – which still stands at the corner of Lemoore Avenue and Bush Street.

The latest LUHS bond to pass muster was a $9.3 million measure in 1997 that passed easily, providing funding for the LHS Event Center as well as upgrades and renovations to many campus facilities.

In 1990, voters approved a $2 million measure to construct a new swimming pool, which will get a facelift with funds provided by Measure L.

The general obligation bond will cost the typical property owner about $27.50 a year – based on every $100,000 of assessed valuation per year. Assessed valuations are often lower than market values.

For additional information, contact the Lemoore Union High School District at 5 Powell Avenue, or call 559-924-6610. Completed applications should be sent to the district by 4:30 p.m. on May 12, 2017.