I want to commend the Superintendent and the Board for approving the plan to finish construction/remodeling of all the remaining schools while also creating a solid financial plan to complete all work in addition to reopening the Slater Elementary school. This is the first time a clear path forward, unifying all interested parties has been put forth and been agreed to by the majority of the Board members, rather than a plan where some win and some lose. Such a plan will serve to unify the entire District. It is time we all move forward together and work together to make MVWSD the best place to send all of our kids!

Thanks to Dr Rudolphe and his team for coming up with a realistic plan that has benefits for the entire District. I can't wait to send my daughter to Slater!

Will the commenters be so congratulatory of the Superintendent when we have a crisis shortfall in operations money because of this move? Go back and re-read this paragraph:

"Much of this money was earmarked for the general fund, and could have been used to fund academic programs in the coming years. But board member Bill Lambert called the new plan a good use of funds that allows the district to satisfy the facilities needs of all the schools."

With this move, the Board and supporters have determined that facilities are more important than programs. Not just for this year, but for decades to come (note that they're bonding future lease revenue from Google and ADPP). How can this possibly a fiscally responsible move? My guess is the Board knows they can get a property tax measure passed to replace the funds they just took, from the General Fund, whereas they couldn't get another construction bond passed.

I'm disappointed.

I agree with SC Parent that this means a future (probably near future) tax increase to replace the lost operating funds and reserves.

Nevertheless, I think it's the best that can be done at this point.

Full disclosure: I do not live in the MVWSD.

There is nothing more tragic for a community than a civil war, the bitter feuding that pits neighbor against neighbor and friend against friend. Since the beginning of serious discussions regarding the allocations of Measure G monies, the District has been "at sixes and sevens" trying to deal with the process. Three Superintendents, several special committees and numerous meetings later, a solution has been reached, hopefully retiring the pitchforks back to the gardens. My neighborhood has seen friendships forged and alliances made during this ordeal which will serve them well as their new campus comes to life.

I agree with Doug Pearson and SC Parent comments that in the future, it will be easier to ask for more tax money for academics than construction, but now those academics will be spread fairly throughout the District. Tax money from our neighborhood will now stay in our neighborhood which will make it easier to approve. I have now seen the Slater neighborhood come full circle and I am very proud to say that I lived there.

Nice to hear some neighborhood as come together from all of this. I wish I could say the same for my neighborhood, but it is more divided than ever. Very sad.

Even as I listened intently to Dr.. Ayinde Rudolph and his Team's presentation of the comprehensive plan that benefits all the existing neighborhood schools in the MVWSD, including the design and construction of Slater School, I had questions in my mind that needed answers and clarifications. Thanks to Trustee Coladonato and Trustee Nelson for their comments and requests for clarifications because they reflected mine. Dr. Rudolph and his Team gave satisfactory responses that at the end of the three rounds of comments from the Board, the Board agreed with the comprehensive plan.

My husband and I went to the meeting wearing "green", a silent announcement that we were there, parents from the North Whisman neighborhood. I soon realized that it was no longer necessary to identify ourselves as belonging to North Whisman community. For the first time in a decade, I felt a sense of belonging. Slater School was included in the Comprehensive plan.

To Dr. Ayinde Rudolph and his Team, Thank You.
To the Board, Thank You.
To Vicki, Tamara, Lana, Ken, and all the parents and community members from MVWSD, Thank You.

@SC Parent of Castro Park. The source of these COP repayments are indeed funds that could go into the General Fund. They are derived from, first, NEW lease revenue from Whisman School, then NEW lease revenue from Slater-Google PK, then NEW lease revenue from Cooper site. It is not first intended to come from OLDER (baseline revenue) from those three property leases. Remember - in particular Whisman & Slater total lease revenue, came from Facilities paid by local property taxes for facilities bonds (this was always also collected from the Whisman & Slater neighborhood)

Additionally - rather than go down into the base lease revenue (above, which is essentially 2014/Goldman era levels) the administrative team is proposing to keep Shoreline JPA (general property tax derived) as a revenue backup. You are right also, a future Facilities GO (General Obligation) Bond could refinance the COP. OR (we will see) $10M out of a possible state-wide School Facilities Bond.

@SC Parent - the base lease revenue is still intended to all go into the General Fund. That amount of lease revenue, from the end of 2014 period, will continue to flow into the General Fund (plus other Google PK sites),

SN is one of the Trustees of the MVWSD, this is his opinion of what he heard and studied from the June 16 Packet