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Updated Vote Count Adds to Measure D's 'Yes' Lead

The school bond measure now has 55.62 percent of the "yes" votes. It needs 55 percent of the "yes" votes to pass.

The Contra Costa County Elections Division updated its vote count on Friday and Measure D's chances of passage has strengthened.

Measure D now has 55.62 percent of the "yes" votes compared to 44.39 percent of the "no" votes. The measure needs 55 percent of the "yes" votes to win.

The new counts adds 3,384 votes to the results posted on election night. The current tally is 29,602 "yes" votes to 22,410 "no" votes.

The original count had Measure D holding on to an even slimmer lead, with 55.19 percent of the votes in favor.

The $260 million bond is to pay for campus upgrades and improve technology in classrooms. In addition, the measure would address overcrowding issues at campuses in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.

Among the Measure D projects include:

  • Technology infrastructure improvements for 21st-century learning.
  • Additional classrooms/facilities to prevent overcrowding and better ensure that students can attend neighborhood schools.
  • Modernization of classrooms, science labs, facilities and sites to support instruction.
  • Energy efficiency and cost-saving improvements.
  • Fire, security and earthquake safety improvements.
  • Projects to keep schools/facilities/sites safe, clean and well-maintained.

View more of San Ramon Patch's election coverage here.

Did you support Measure D? Tell us why or why not in the comments section below.

Heidi Emerson November 10, 2012 at 04:20 pm
What nice ladies working the phone banks - every call made a difference :)
Leonard Vinci November 11, 2012 at 02:28 pm
Dear Heide wake up...when you ask for money from your friends, neighbors or strangers you darn well better be nice. Nice ladies on the phone bank, please wake up and smell the roses.
By the way Heide and all the others that voted YES on "D", follow the MONEY an you just may be surprised where it ends up. Oh, and another little info that may surprise you... If you want to stop "OVERCROWDING"...Tell your civic leaders to STOP developing open space. If you haven't noticed, more development + more homes = more children. Hows that for an interesting fact. Well, I for one hope measure D goes where the Devil lives. Thank You Danville Patch for allowing me to express my personal opinion.
Patty Hoyt November 11, 2012 at 02:55 pm
Leonard, believe me, those of us that supported Measure D and worked hard to get it passed have followed the money. Why would you think that we would blindly support a tax on our hard earned money? Do you think that only anti-tax people do their research?
Will November 11, 2012 at 02:57 pm
Measure D is needed this time but there must be a point checks and balances will be needed in place for future.
Can't keep on paying forever into schools. Need to fix the school situation. Have the home builders fund building out the schools not the taxpayers. What about middle and High school overcrowding coming? Are you'll going to covert some other schools for that in the future?
Rick November 11, 2012 at 05:18 pm
Tax after tax. $1 earned but only $.50 buying power: 20% fed + 8% state + 9% sales + 12% for property tax (based on my income).
Larry S November 11, 2012 at 05:24 pm
What most of the taxpayers don't realize, is the numerous amount of students on outer-district transfers. Class sizes are enormous at my child's middle school. There are 41 students in her Math class. She personally knows three who live out of town. One from Concord, one from Vallejo, and one from Fairfield. In each case, they commute with the parent because of employment in Bishop Ranch. I don't think this is a good policy for SRVUSD.
Buddy H. November 11, 2012 at 06:33 pm
Larry... That's not an SRVUSD decision, that's a state law, so there's not a lot the SRVUSD can do about it. They get the funding regardless of where the students come from, so based on your comment above, the need for alleviating the overcrowding is sorely overdue. As a homeowner here (who doesn't have kids in the district, btw), I'm kind of glad that our district is so attractive as I'm fairly willing to bet whatever this tax costs me over time is MORE than made up for in my property value. No tax/ bond increase is ever fun, but some of them are smart.
Sam Clemens November 11, 2012 at 08:02 pm
The real cost of the bond is building infrastructure for a broken system..further entrenching the status quo mediocrity.
Leonard Vinci November 11, 2012 at 08:55 pm
Dear Patty Hoyt...With all do respect...NO, I do not believe you or the others that voted for "D" follows the money.
Remember something Patty... "If you keep feeding the Starving Beast, it will continue feeding off of you" Why do I believe you and others would blindly support a tax on your hard earned money. Simple...because the Starving Beast eats appeals to sensitive emotion...Children, Children Children...anything for the Children...If the children benefited, I would also vote yes...but that is not the fact. If you think differently about the flow of money...ask the school board or the person in charge of the purse strings to report to the tax-payers just where and when this money is spent. I noticed you did not comment about the overcrowding issue. I am assuming you are in favor of build. build and build some more. No Patty...I'm sorry...you live in Fantasy-Land. But thank you for responding...That's what a Democracy is all about. Leonard
P November 11, 2012 at 11:17 pm
Prediction: Within 3 years there will be a request for even more money (new bond or renewal of old one) for the schools.
It will never stop. There will never be enough.
Steve November 12, 2012 at 12:53 pm
The funds collect by the bonds sold will go for infrastructure. Things like seismic upgrades, technology upgrades, a new elementary school in Dougherty Valley. The state does NOT pay for infrastructure in schools that is up to the district.
You speak about a new bond measure in three years. I doubt it but there may be a new parcel tax in a few years. Parcel taxes pay for operations and additional classes. Residents of Acalanes district in LaMOrinda pay over $400 in parcel taxes for their schools. Parcel taxes are paid on a per parcel basis not on a portion of the property value. Very different.
Tom November 12, 2012 at 03:33 pm
The same people thet complain about over crowding of our schools support allowing illegal immigrants to be educated in our schools. I would be very happy to get on board with funding schools AFTER some fiscal reform and sanity was injected into the current system. Now with a super majority there will be no one to blame anymore in this state. The teachers union now owns this state. Shoud be interesting to see how this goes for the rest of us. In a couple of years I will be able to leave this state as I can see the future here and I choose to not be a part of it.
Steve November 12, 2012 at 03:54 pm
Have you been in any San Ramon schools lately? I don't believe that there are any illegal immigrants in the classrooms - not that it would matter. The students in these classrooms live in Dougherty Valley and because the schools are great, families with children naturally seek out this area to live. And they pay a premium to live here. Did you ever wonder why a 1800sf home in San Ramon or Danville costs more than Hayward, or Antioch? Maybe because the schools are better and crime is lower?
Tom November 12, 2012 at 05:55 pm
Why yes, as a matter of fact I was at SRVHS last week. Do you know why the pricipal there was removed last year? Are you aware that there are in fact several kids that are using bad data to be allowed to be there? Do you know how many that have been allowed to opt out of MV to go to SRVHS? We can have a fun time with this if you would like.
Patty Hoyt November 14, 2012 at 02:17 am
I did not respond to your comment on overcrowding because I was merely responding to what I perceived as an attack on my integrity, insinuating that I don't do due diligence in choices of what to vote for just because it isn't aligned with your choice.
The budget for SRVUSD is a public document available for anyone to look at, which I have, so I am informed of where and when the money is spent.
Chris November 14, 2012 at 05:55 pm
Leonard, with the build, build, build comes infrastructure for the new schools paid for by the builders. You can look at the master plan for the area if you want to see where more building will occur and where light rail will go in.
As for the measure this is the first one that I am aware of since the last one passed in 1998 and many of the schools were looking pretty dismal then. Leonard, which schools do you think need the most funding in SRVUSD?
Tom November 14, 2012 at 06:05 pm
This is how a city is destroyed. It would make a great course to teach about in school but of course this discussion would NOT be allowed:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/13/us-bernardino-bankrupt-idUSBRE8AC0HP20121113 Little by little, over many years, the salaries and retirement benefits of San Bernardino's city workers — and especially its police and firemen — grew richer and richer, even as the city lost its major employers and gradually got poorer and poorer. Unions poured money into city council elections, and the city council poured money into union pay and pensions. The California Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers), which manages pension plans for San Bernardino and many other cities, encouraged ever-sweeter benefits. Investment bankers sold clever bond deals to pay for them.
AJ November 14, 2012 at 09:40 pm
I voted No, and I am a property owner, would have preferred the tax to be paid by all of SR residents, including renters.
Veteran Experience November 14, 2012 at 10:31 pm
Another game of 3 card Monty. Every bond has oversight but what they don't tell you is there is already a budget for infrastructure. So when the bond passes, all the bond money goes to what they said but with slight of hand, the money that was already in the budget gets transferred into raises for administrators and to pay back the teachers union.
Steve November 16, 2012 at 01:47 pm
To Veteran Experience - the school district has some funds for building maintenance like field maintenance and painting and fixing electrical. They don't have funds to build a new school (See item 5 on bond list) or do seismic upgrades or technology upgrades. The district does NOT have $260,000,000 in the bank already for facilities. They can only use this money for items on the list submitted before the voters. There is over $400million of facilities needs in this district and the bond money will not take the place of funds already in place. The teachers and administrators will NOT get a raise from funds from this bond measure of funds that are already for facility improvements. There maybe raises this year but not from bond funds.
Steve November 16, 2012 at 01:49 pm
AJ - interesting fact - all property owners in SRVUSD area will pay this bond off. Renters will pay their landlords and landlords will pay the tax. So renters will pay indirectly.
Kimberley Gilles November 18, 2012 at 08:16 pm
As a teacher at Monte Vista High whose WONDERFUL students pour every day into an aging portable classroom with sporadic airconditioning and heating, and access to technology that is limited by how many wires I am willing to permit students to trip over, I am delighted that Measure D passed! In a few years, I may actually teach in a room with cupboards, wires that do not snake over a doorframe, along walls and across floors, and room enough for a few computers for student use. I thank the voters of the San Ramon Valley for their foresight and generosity. Yes, you will have most certainly made my professional life easier, but -- more importantly -- you have invested in safe and efficient learning environments all across the district. HOORAY!
Steve November 28, 2012 at 02:39 pm
I look forward to seeing the improvements at our local schools. And the building of a new Elementary School in Dougherty Valley
Tom November 28, 2012 at 10:29 pm
Taxing the rich works so well......
Two-thirds of millionaires left Britain to avoid 50p tax rate Almost two-thirds of the country’s million-pound earners disappeared from Britain after the introduction of the 50p top rate of tax, figures have disclosed. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9707029/Two-thirds-of-millionaires-left-Britain-to-avoid-50p-tax-rate.html
Tom November 28, 2012 at 10:33 pm
On a related note, if government can play such a big role in education how is this possible:
Washington, D.C., had the worst high school graduation rate in the country in 2011, according to state-by-state statistics released Monday by the U.S. Department of Education. Only 59 percent of high school students who started as freshmen in the 2006-2007 school year graduated four years later from District of Columbia schools, according to the data, which details state four-year high school graduation rates in the 2010-11 school year. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/dc-takes-top-honors-worst-graduation-rate-us
Steve December 5, 2012 at 05:45 pm
All public schools are run by governments. Some will always be better than others.

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