ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Elk Grove Unified School District residents will decide in November whether to approve $542 million in school bonds. The board of education’s vote to place the question on the ballot came at a special meeting on July 24, after the board approved a facilities master plan that projects the district’s highest-priority improvements to cost nearly $2 billion.

With annual levies averaging 3.4 cents per $100 of assessed value, the bonds would bring in about $37 million annually.

Deputy Superintendent Kristen Coates said the bond funds would be used for a variety of district needs, including upgrades to classrooms; construction and repair for roofing and HVAC systems; and student safety improvements.

“What Elk Grove residents really say is that maintaining the learning environment in schools is their top priority,” Coates said, adding that the bonds would forward that goal.

Trustee Nancy Chaires Espinoza called the bonds “an incredibly positive step forward.” She commended the district’s accomplishments with funding from the Measure M bonds that voters approved in 2016.

Trustee Sean Yang asked whether the district has a “backup plan” should the initiative fail.

Coates pointed to a statewide education bond measure, Proposition 2, as a possible alternative.

Board President Gina Jamerson said the community is committed to providing a high-quality education.

“I think that, in order to continue to provide quality for our students, that we’re going to need the community to let us know that they’re ready to commit to that,” Jamerson said.

The board voted 6-1 to approve the ballot initiative, with Perez opposed.

Coates presented the proposed update to the facilities master plan. She said the document was informed through inspections of the district’s school sites, as well as community and stakeholder surveys and five community forums.

The master plan lays out the district’s facilities needs and goals for the next decade, through 2035, along with projected costs for the highest-priority updates.

The plan places greatest priority on improvements to comply with safety codes — keeping students “warm, dry and safe.” The next highest priority went to projects related to education program efficiency.

The estimated cost of the first- and second-priority items is nearly $2 billion. The figure comprises $1.3 billion for the first category and $662 million for the second.

Coates acknowledged that the price tag may seem “daunting.”

“The team has a strong history of leveraging multiple funding sources to get this done, so Measure M became a model for that,” Coates continued.

Coates said the plan puts special focus on certain areas of education, based on input from the board, the public and site surveys: special education, kindergarten and transitional kindergarten, safety and security, educational technology, overcrowding, and school support facilities.

Survey respondents commonly wanted improvement in bathrooms, technology, parking lots, playground accessibility, and visual and performing arts facilities.

While overall enrollment in the district has remained flat, Coates pointed to two parts of the district with “off-the-charts” growth: Rancho Cordova and south Elk Grove. Rancho Cordova is projected to get two additional elementary schools and one additional middle and high school site in the next 10 years, and south Elk Grove is planned to see three additional elementary schools.

During public comment, Nisreen Assaf, whose children attend Miwok Village Elementary School, said the school needs to have better shade structures because its shade trees aren’t mature yet.

“For the most part, I think our schools are very welcoming and very well designed,” Yang said, adding that some older campuses may need renovations to be more welcoming.

Trustee Michael Vargas asked staff to be “thoughtful” about how they allocate money, focusing on school sites with the greatest need; he said that some elementary schools need attention.

Trustee Carmine Forcina asked whether the master plan could include the district’s intent to build schools, noting the potential for voters to reject the new bond initiative. He said this language would help “alleviate the fears of the people in the Rancho Cordova area.”

Forcina represents Trustee Area 7, which includes Rancho Cordova.

Superintendent Christopher Hoffman said the district has stated its intent to build the schools, assuming growth continues as projected, but he did not consider such a statement “appropriate” for the master plan. He said milestones such as building the first planned elementary school and reaching full enrollment would prove the district’s intent.

Chaires Espinoza objected to the idea of “creating a higher level of promise” for some residents compared to others.

Forcina ultimately asked that the district hold a meeting with Rancho Cordova residents to assuage their concerns.

Later in the meeting, a Rancho Cordova resident identified as Heidi said her community has doubts about whether the planned schools will be built.

“Many feel hopeful and positive, but many still question how genuine your intention is to prioritize these schools,” Heidi said, asking for a commitment to complete the schools within five years.

Trustee Tony Perez raised concerns that the master plan does not adequately factor in population change, but Hoffman said that the document does account for it.

The facilities master plan passed by 6-1 vote, with Perez casting the sole no vote.