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Editorial: It will be too late Tuesday
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Mesa Union School District is counting on the Somis-area community to step up to the plate and pass a much-needed school bond June 3.
The modest $4 million bond measure is crucial to the safety of the district's students. If approved, officials will use the money to improve a dangerous school entrance and to relocate a playground that sits atop a high-pressure gas line.
The bond, Measure A, is urgent and The Star urges a yes vote. It needs 55 percent voter approval to pass.
The gas line was recently discovered during efforts by the district to improve traffic safety at the school. Mesa School sits next to Highway 118, and traffic from parents dropping off their children often backs up onto the busy highway.
Specifically, the bond money would be used to purchase adjoining land to rebuild a new entrance to the campus, improve parking lots and sidewalks and build a bus turnaround.
Additionally, a portion of the land will be used for a new playground, since it had to be closed because of the danger to students. The playground closure has affected after-school activities and has left only a small, grassy area for physical education classes.
The cost to make the school safer for parents and children alike is $29 per $100,000 of assessed property value for no longer than 25 years. The measure establishes a citizens oversight committee and calls for annual audits to monitor expenditures.
With no organized effort against Measure A, it may seem assured of passage. Complacency, however, has sent many a school bond down to defeat.
Safety has a price. Hopefully, voters understand the importance of providing their children with a safe place to learn.
Posted by chair on May 17, 2008 at 4 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Headline and link do not match story -- gee, such difficult stuff! Guess OFN fired their web checker to save $$$!
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