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Published on 08/03/1998 All articles from this issue

School bond supporters choose Tramutola as campaign manager

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

A campaign to support the Los Altos School District's $94.7 million construction bond, which will be on the Nov. 3 ballot, kicks off next month with campaign manager Larry Tramutola at the helm.

Tramutola, who specializes in school tax elections, has successfully headed a string of school campaigns in the Peninsula. He helped the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District win its third bond election in 1995.

Campaign organizers said educating the community about the bond is critical. They agreed that an expert could best prepare and implement an effective strategy.

Organizers said they will need about 10,720 yes votes out of the 25,500 registered voters in the district in order to obtain the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass the bond.

"We won't win this one with parents. We need to get the community at large involved," said board member Terry Sachs.

Dick Hasenpflug, chairman of the campaign steering committee, said campaign volunteers will target and focus on getting the "yes" voters to the polls rather than persuading opponents to support the bond.

He said the committee could secure campaign headquarters at a storefront in Rancho Shopping Center.

Committee members have already raised $5,000 of the approximately $80,000 needed to fund the campaign, he said.

The board of trustees voted at the June 29 meeting to place the bond measure to fund its master facilities plan on the November ballot.

The decision came after an intensive yearlong study of school sites and the recent approval of a facilities plan to upgrade the district's aging schools.

The plan includes reopening Covington School as a seventh elementary school to keep enrollment under 500 students at each of the six elementary school sites; replacing all portable buildings; renovating or constructing new, larger multipurpose buildings and libraries; and adding two-story structures at some sites to allow more play space. Plumbing, heating and ventilation systems, windows and roofing will be replaced. Buildings will be seismically reinforced and brought up to meet current codes. More electrical units, insulation and exterior lighting will be added.

School officials said the plan would take about six years to complete. The total construction cost would be $85 million, but inflation over the next six years will bring that amount up to about $98.7 million, said Randy Kenyon, assistant superintendent of business services, during a June interview. He said interest from the bond will provide the additional $4 million needed.

If passed, the bond would cost taxpayers an average of $55 per $100,000 assessed property value each year.