Lynette Niebla
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA) – Voters within the Meadows Union School District will decide the future of local campus infrastructure this November as two distinct general obligation bonds head to the ballot box.
Measures P and Q seek a combined $4 million in funding to address critical, long-neglected repairs at Meadows Elementary School, the single-campus district’s only facility.
Located just outside El Centro, the rural single-school district serves approximately 300 students from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade.
Superintendent and Principal Keila Rodriguez, now in her ninth year leading the campus, emphasizes that addressing the school’s mounting facility woes requires a collaborative effort with local residents.
“That’s a lot of different areas where we need a lot of fixing and renovation of our facilities,” Rodriguez explained. “In order for us to do that without tapping into our general fund…that was one of the ideas that was brought up…to put it on the ballot.”
The money is strictly dedicated to repairing aging buildings and upgrading the campus. Key priorities include upgrading classrooms, repairing deteriorating school site parking lots, and replacing failing roof structures.
“Our roofs in our buildings, with the winds and the rain, have had a lot of damage to some of our wings,” Rodriguez noted. “We have fixed some of it, but it’s temporary. Because of the cost, we just haven’t been able to do a more permanent solution.”
Beyond the buildings, the aging infrastructure heavily restricts the use of the school’s expansive grounds. The campus features sports fields with physical light poles already erected, but they remain completely unpowered.
“We have amazing fields. We have a lot of land, but we can’t use them after certain hours because of lighting,” Rodriguez said.
District officials note that connecting those light poles to electrical power would not only expand athletic options for students but would also transform the campus into a vital community asset.
Neighboring school districts and regional youth sports leagues would finally gain an accessible, fully lit space to practice and play after sunset.
“At the end of the day, it is for the community, and it is from the community as well,” Rodriguez added.
While school funding initiatives frequently appear before Imperial County voters, the presence of two separate bond measures on a single ballot has sparked questions.
According to Rodriguez, the total dollar amount was split intentionally to remain legally compliant with strict, state-mandated property tax assessment ceilings.
“We’re not sure how the community is going to respond, and so we want to make sure that we’re able to address at least one of the many areas that we need to work on,” Rodriguez stated regarding the strategic split. “Whether we get one or the other, or both, there are just different benefits with each of them.”
If both Measure P and Measure Q secure voter approval, the combined cost to local property owners is estimated at $45 annually per one hundred thousand dollars of taxable value.
To protect taxpayers and ensure institutional transparency, state law mandates the formation of an independent citizens’ oversight committee if the bonds pass.
The panel will strictly monitor expenditures to guarantee that all funds are spent locally on the outlined construction goals and never diverted to administrative or teacher salaries.
As Election Day nears, school administrators are urging the community to evaluate the structural realities facing the district’s children and make an educated choice.
“We encourage every resident of the Meadows Union School District to go out there and vote, and not just for these measures, but for everything on the ballot that is going to impact our community,” Rodriguez urged.
Superintendent Rodriguez advises all residents to fully research the ballot measures and contact the school district office directly with any facility or tax-related questions before casting their votes.
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