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A century ago, in 1922, the newly formed Campbell Union School District built a grammar school at the intersection of East Campbell Avenue and Winchester Boulevard.
For 42 years, it served as the only grammar school in the district. A marker with a photograph of Campbell Union Grammar School commemorates its history at what is now the Heritage Village offices.
Today, the district serves 6,500 students at eight elementary schools, two TK-8 schools, two middle schools, a home school program and district-operated preschools in Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, San Jose, Santa Clara and Saratoga.
The district is seeking approval of a $96 million bond measure that is primarily designed to modernize aging school facilities, as several of the schools are more than 50 years old. District officials have a solid record of making prudent use of taxpayer dollars. Voters should pass Measure T on the Nov. 8 ballot.
The measure would cost property owners a projected average $12 per $100,000 of assessed value annually for the next 39 years. Property owners are currently paying off other district voter-approved bonds at a annual rate of about $67 per $100,000 of assessed value.
The district says it plans to time issuance of the new bonds so that the tax-rate increase from Measure T would match the expected decrease in the tax rate collected from previous bond measures as they are paid off.
That would mean that district property owners would see the tax rate on their supplemental tax bills remain steady. Property owners also have an annual $49-per-parcel tax payment, approved by voters in 2015, that helps cover district operation costs.
Measure T requires 55% approval by voters.
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