Measure O, in detail.

Reed Union School District serves approximately 1,100 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Reed Elementary School, Bel Aire Elementary School, and Del Mar Middle School. RUSD serves the communities of Tiburon, Belvedere, and a portion of eastern Corte Madera.

RUSD students consistently demonstrate strong academic achievement, and local schools rank among the top in the region and the state. High-quality teachers and well-rounded academics support students to learn in an environment that is safe, functional, and engaging.

While schools have received some exterior upgrades in recent years, inside many RUSD classrooms and school facilities are aging and require repairs and upgrades. Upgrades are needed to protect the high quality of education the RUSD community expects.

The District has conducted a thorough facilities planning process. Outside experts identified repairs and facility improvements at all three schools, including repairs to deteriorating and leaky roofs, aging plumbing and utility systems, outdated heating and ventilation systems, and improvements to fire, electrical, security, and earthquake-safety systems.

Additionally, some portable classrooms have reached the end of their useful life. At Bel Aire Elementary School, several portable classrooms have been taken out of service due to mold.

Delaying needed repairs to leaky roofs, aging plumbing, and critical systems only makes them far more expensive and disruptive in the long run. RUSD students continue to demonstrate strong academic achievement, but many school buildings, building systems, and portable classrooms are aging.

Addressing basic repairs to roofs, plumbing, restrooms, heating, ventilation, fire alarms, electrical systems, school security, and accessibility now prevents higher emergency repair costs and protects the quality of our educational environment.

Many portable classrooms were originally intended to serve as temporary facilities. After decades of use, a number of the District's portables have exceeded their expected useful life. Some can no longer be used for classes because of structural deterioration, aging building systems, and other safety concerns associated with long-term wear and tear.

If approved by voters, Measure O would allow the District to replace aging portable buildings with permanent classrooms designed to serve students for decades to come.

Yes. Measure O authorizes repair, safety, and upgrade projects at Reed Elementary School, Bel Aire Elementary School, and Del Mar Middle School.

To address identified facility repairs and upgrades, the Reed Union School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to place Measure O, a $115 million general obligation bond measure, on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

If approved by local voters, Measure O would levy a tax of $30 per $100,000 of assessed (not market) home value and provide dedicated local funding for authorized repairs, safety improvements, and upgrades at RUSD schools.

The District began a long-range facilities planning process in 2022 to evaluate school facilities and identify repairs, upgrades, and improvements. The process has included community input, professional analysis, and evaluation of facility needs at Reed Elementary, Bel Aire Elementary, and Del Mar Middle School.

Facility needs continue to grow as buildings and systems age. Delaying these repairs and upgrades will make them more expensive to complete.

RUSD's educational programs rely on classrooms and facilities that can support current instruction, technology, science, engineering, arts, and other learning activities. Measure O's project list includes upgrades to classrooms, science labs, engineering and maker spaces, instructional technology, electrical systems, and other facilities used to provide District educational programs.

Bond funds could only be spent on facility projects.

Without Measure O, the District would lose this potential local funding and would need to determine which repairs and improvements it is able to complete. The District's general fund budget, which pays for basic facility maintenance, is insufficient to cover the costs of the identified repair needs.

Without Measure O, projects would be severely limited to available funding and would need to be deferred.

Measure O would authorize up to $115 million in general obligation bonds. If approved by at least 55% of voters, Measure O would levy up to $30 per $100,000 of assessed value (not market value) while bonds are outstanding.

The cost of a school bond measure is based on the assessed value of a property, not its current market value. For most property owners, assessed value is based on the property's original purchase price and generally may increase by no more than 2% annually until the property changes ownership.

As a result, a property's assessed value can be substantially lower than its current market value, particularly for properties owned for many years. Property owners can find their property's assessed value on their property tax bill.

RUSD currently has one of the lowest facility bond tax rates among comparable Marin County school districts. The current tax rate for RUSD's outstanding bonds is approximately $12.

If the proposed 2026 bond measure is approved, the additional bond tax rate would be approximately $30, bringing RUSD's combined facility bond tax rate to approximately $40. Even with the proposed measure, RUSD's combined bond tax rate would remain lower than the comparable districts shown, which range from approximately $45 to $90.

If approved by voters, Measure O would be subject to strict accountability requirements: all funds controlled locally and spent on voter-approved projects only; no funds able to be taken away by State or Federal governments; no funds spent on administrator salaries or pensions; and independent oversight with annual audits.

No. Bond proceeds could only be used for authorized school facility projects and could not be used for administrator salaries.

No. All Measure O funds would remain under local control and could only be used for RUSD school facility projects.

RUSD passed school bonds in 2001 and 2005 but has not passed a bond in the last two decades. The 2001 bond is scheduled to be paid off in 2028. RUSD has also refinanced outstanding bonds several times to achieve lower interest rates and save taxpayers money.

Proceeds from bonds like Measure O are restricted funds that can only be used for capital improvements to school buildings and infrastructure, such as repairing or upgrading classrooms, roofs, HVAC systems, and electrical and plumbing systems.

RUSD's annual operating budget primarily supports the day-to-day costs of educating students and running schools, including staffing, classroom programs, student services, utilities, maintenance, and routine repairs. It is not structured or funded to cover the significant cost of major facility repairs, replacements, and modernization projects. These large-scale improvements require a separate capital funding source, which is why public school districts commonly rely on voter-approved school bonds.

Additionally, the State does not provide sufficient ongoing funding to address the full scope of local school facility improvement needs. As a result, districts like RUSD must secure local funding to make major upgrades to classrooms, labs, and other school facilities.

Yes. RUSD receives funding from Measure E, a voter-approved parcel tax, which currently costs $703 per parcel. Parcel tax and bond funding serve different purposes.

Parcel tax funding supports teachers and academic programs. Bond measures are restricted to authorized school facility expenditures and cannot be used for teacher or administrator salaries.

The State provides very limited funding to school districts for facility repairs and upgrades. The funding the State does provide requires local matching dollars, typically provided by locally approved bond measures. Measure O would provide RUSD with the local matching funds needed to compete for state matching funds.

RUSD maintains a AAA credit rating, the highest available credit rating. The District's strong credit rating allows it to qualify for the lowest available interest rates when bonds are sold, helping reduce borrowing costs for local taxpayers.

No. State law does not allow senior exemptions for school bonds. However, the cost of Measure O is based on the assessed value of property rather than current market value, which means homeowners who have owned their homes for many years will pay the least.

Regardless of whether you have school-age children, investment in quality schools and education helps support strong property values and our strong community.

All registered voters residing within the Reed Union School District are eligible to vote on Measure O.

At least 55% of voters casting a ballot on Measure O must vote "Yes" for the measure to be approved.

Measure O will appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot.