School trustees are laying the groundwork for another go at a bond election to update and/or renovate the school district's aging infrastructure. Voters rejected a $34 million bond issue in 2007.

At their regular meeting Thursday, trustees approved a contract with Specialized Public Finance Inc. to provide financial advice for any upcoming bond issue.

While school officials have never made secret their ultimate intention to call for a bond election, the issue has been on the back burner for more than a year.

The urgency and need for a bond is still there, however, officials said.

“The simple fact is that our school buildings, if you take out the junior high, average 55 years of age,” said Dr. Michael Stevens, special advisor to the superintendent.

Building age and condition have been a concern for school officials for years. Studies commissioned by the district have shown that almost every campus is in need of some form of renovation and some are in need of outright closure.

The time is right, officials believe, for another bond election.

“It's going to take a lot of work on our part, but we think it's worthwhile,” Superintendent Steven Saldivar said. “We're going to put out the facts and show people what we have and what we need, then let them decide.”

Existing options for exactly how much the district is requesting from voters ranges widely in preliminary estimates. Among the projects the district is considering is the replacement of Washington and Marcy elementaries, currently estimated to cost around $23 million.

But it's not just new buildings that trustees are considering.

“We do want to stress that we're not talking just about replacement, but renovation, as well,” School Board President Mike Dawson noted.

Other campuses — with the exception of Bauer Elementary, which is targeted for closure — have some form of renovation under consideration.

Any construction estimates are, officials warned, highly preliminary and will be firmed up in the coming weeks.

“If we're going to have a bond election in May, we have to call for it by March 1,” Stevens said. “If we decide to go forth on this, when you come back from Christmas break, you'll see us working in the community a lot.”

Garnering public support will be critical, officials admitted.

“The plan has to come from us because we know what the needs are,” Saldivar said. “But different people from different sections of the community have come up to me and asked, 'When are we going to do something about the schools?'” Then, they ask what they can do to help.

“We have a good idea of what's needed,” he added. “It's our job now to educated the public on those needs.”

In other business Thursday, trustees approved:

• Vendors' lists for maintenance and transportation and food service bids.

• Approved the annual financial report and district improvement plan.

• Policy updates.

• $15,000 to purchase a new scoreboard for the baseball field.

• Purchase of student response systems.

Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331 ext. 234 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it