Dear IUSD Community, I am pleased to announce that voters have passed Measure E. The school facilities improvement measure, which was placed on the June 7 ballot by the Irvine Unified School District Board of Education, passed with 60 percent of the vote, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ website. The county agency will officially certify the results by the end of the month. Although only voters in the neighborhoods served by Irvine’s oldest schools voted on Measure E, it was the subject of citywide discussion and campaigns. Passage of this measure is an affirmation of the community’s confidence in the Board of Education and our District. IUSD’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the Irvine Teachers Association, the California School Employees Association and the many parent volunteers and community members, who comprised the Yes on E Campaign, were pivotal in communicating the importance and positive impact of Measure E to the Irvine community. PTA Council President and Campaign Committee Chair Connie Stone and her team worked tirelessly to ensure educational equity for all IUSD students, now and for generations to come. Measure E will provide a maximum available bond issuance of $319 million to provide modernizations to the District’s aging schools. This funding will be issued in four series over 12 years. IUSD anticipates the first bond issuance to occur in January or February of 2017. Click here for a list of schools that will receive funding and to see proposed project lists for each school site. District staff will present the proposed school site project lists to the Board of Education during a yet to be determined Board Meeting in the coming months. In addition, the District will begin the process to form a Citizens Oversight Committee to oversee the allocation of bond funds and to conduct an annual audit. By law, funds can only be used for facilities projects and cannot be taken away by the state or redirected for other purposes. Property owners in the newest areas, who are paying Community Facility District (CFD) fees toward school facility construction, will not be impacted by the Measure. Passage of Measure E is a tremendous step forward to ensuring all IUSD schools meet the same safety and academic standards as new schools and that all students have equal access to 21st-century educational facilities. IUSD will regularly communicate important milestones and updates through our school communities and on our website iusd.org. Thank you for your support and engagement, which helps IUSD better serve our students. Sincerely, Terry L. Walker Superintendent of Schools, Irvine Unified School District
