CUSD
Quotes

CUSD admits it has covered the children’s playgrounds with portables

Oct 01, 1999
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CUSD, Key Message Points “We have put portables on so many playgrounds that elementary children lack places to play.”

Several years later during the CUSD Recall Campaign, CUSD defended their overuse of portables by denying the actual numbers and percentages of portables at CUSD schools and lying to the public about minimum percentages of portables "required" by the state. The Key Message Points flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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CUSD portrays portables as a problem when it suits their purpose - when they need money from taxpayers

Oct 01, 1999
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CUSD, Key Message Points CUSD, Key Message Points “Many of our students currently attend school in portable classrooms. We have been forced to convert libraries, storage rooms, hallways and auditoriums into classrooms. Our local schools are severely overcrowded.”

Several years later during the CUSD Recall Campaign, with terrible overcrowding and portables still serious issues for students, Marlene Draper and others at CUSD rebuffed reform advocates by denying that portables were a problem and claiming that it didn't matter if the children were taught in portables as long as their test scores were good. The Key Message Points flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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CUSD said Mello-Roos residents exempt from Measure A, but didn’t explain they would receive the benefit while others paid

Oct 01, 1999
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CUSD, Key Message Points “The bond has been specifically designed to exclude people living in existing Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts. Existing Mello-Roos residents already pay extra taxes for schools through Mello-Roos assessment. State law prohibits existing Mello-Roos residents from double taxation. All current Mello-Roos taxpayers will be exempt from voting in the bond election and further taxation if the bond passes.”

But nobody at CUSD explained how they planned to take Measure A monies from taxpayers in areas like Mission Viejo with substandard schools like Newhart Middle School and divert them to priviledged areas like Arroyo Vista in Rancho Santa Margarita where taxpayers were exempt from paying Measure A taxes. The Key Message Points flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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CUSD promised taxpayer safeguards but didn’t tell the whole story and taxpayers where taken advantage of anyway

Oct 01, 1999
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CUSD, Key Message Points “Taxpayer safeguards are in place. By law, no bond money would be spent on administrators’ salaries. Funds from the bond would be spent entirely on our local schools. This school district has an outstanding fiscal reputation. All repairs at each school are spelled out in the bond. An annual audit would document how bond dollars are spent. A reserve fund would be established to ensure that funds are available in the future to maintain school facilities.”

But nobody at CUSD explained how they planned to take Measure A monies from taxpayers in areas like Mission Viejo with substandard schools like Newhart Middle School and divert them to priviledged areas like Arroyo Vista in Rancho Santa Margarita where taxpayers were exempt from paying Measure A taxes. The Key Message Points flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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CUSD promised that “all” schools would reap the benefits of Measure A - they lied

Oct 01, 1999
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CUSD, Key Message Points “All schools would reap the benefits of a successful bond. Each of our schools would receive desperately needed funds for repairs, health and safety improvements and/or relief from overcrowding.”

Ask the parents at Newhart Middle School in Mission Viejo (where parents paid the Measure A bond taxes in hopes of renovating their school only to have the funds diverted to Arroyo Vista School in Rancho Santa Margarita where parents didn't pay) whether they think CUSD kept its promise. The Key Message Points flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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CUSD admits its schools are aging and deteriorating

Jul 19, 1999
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CUSD, Fact Sheet “Addressing the Needs of Aging Schools - Our neighborhood schools face an immediate need for critical repairs. Many of our schools are 30 and 40 years old. They are aging and deteriorating.”

The Fact Sheet flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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Despite promises of Measure A improvements, serious issues remained during Recall Campaign years later

Jul 19, 1999
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CUSD, Fact Sheet “Principals, parents, students, teachers and community members created a comprehensive needs list for each of our schools. Some examples of critical needs include: • Capistrano Valley High School - $3.4 million to replace portables with new classrooms; • San Clemente High School - $1.5 million to repair existing classrooms by replacing leaking roofs, decaying ceilings, heating and air conditioning systems and lighting”

The Fact Sheet flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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CUSD admitted schools face health, fire and safety issues during their Measure A bond campaign

Jul 19, 1999
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CUSD, Fact Sheet “Planning School Safety as A Top Priority - ... in order to maintain campus safety, many of our older schools must be brought into compliance with health requirements and safety codes. For example, bond money would enable our schools to renovate communication systems, improve exterior lighting, and install fire sprinkler systems and fire/security alarms.”

The Fact Sheet flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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CUSD told taxpayers that comprehensive needs lists would govern spending at each school

Jul 19, 1999
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CUSD, Fact Sheet “Guaranteeing That All Schools Benefit - Each of our 41 neighborhood schools would benefit from the bond. Principals, parents, students, teachers and community members created a comprehensive needs list for each of our schools.”

The Fact Sheet flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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Mello-Roos taxpayers exempt from Measure A election and taxes, but trustees didn't restrict them from taking the benefits

Jan 19, 1999
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CUSD, Fact Sheet “Excluding Existing Mello-Roos Taxpayers - Some of our school communities include Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts where homeowners are already assessed fees for school facilities. We do not believe it is fair for those who are already being taxed through Mello-Roos fees to be taxed a second time in an SFID bond election. Moreover, Mello-Roos taxpayers cannot, by state law, be double taxed. Therefore, all existing Mello-Roos taxpayers would be exempt from voting in the election and equally exempt from being further taxed.”

The Fact Sheet flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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Trustees include "taxpayer safeguards" but none to address later abuses

Jan 19, 1999
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CUSD, Fact Sheet “Putting Taxpayer Safeguards in Place - To ensure accuracy and accountability, the Board of Trustees of Capistrano Unified School District has included specific safeguards in the bond language to help ensure that the funds generated are spent appropriately. The safeguards include the following: • The board would establish a contract with each school detailing each project scheduled for the school; • The bond measure would require an Annual Independent Audit documenting expenditures; • Funds would be made available in the future to continue construction and repair of school facilities; • No money would be spent on administrators salaries. By law, bond money would only be spent on school buildings and grounds.”

The Fact Sheet flyer was prepared by CUSD to advocate support for Measure A, a $65 million school bond later approved by voters in 2000.

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