Measure E Facility Projects Prove Less Costly than Anticipated

Milpitas Unified School District facility projects approved under Bond Measure E are costing the school district less money than initially anticipated.

The $95-million general obligation bond, to repair and improve district facilities, has cost almost 44 percent less, the Milpitas Post reports.

John Cimino, who oversees the district's Maintenance, Operations and Transportation Department, credits MUSD trustees for the savings, saying their willingness to pre-approve contracts before the bond's passage helped construction begin immediately after the June 5 election.

"We started painting two days after the approval so we just hit the ground running," Cimino states in the Milpitas Post article. "In construction, time is definitely money. And I know some of my colleagues who passed similar bonds are three years away from construction projects."

Project savings have totaled $414,000. Painting bids turned out to be around $186,000 — $222,277 less than initially budgeted — and paving bids were about $325,000, which is more than $212,000 less than the amount budgeted.

The bond, which raises $95 million for repairs and classroom improvements, wasn't 100 percent supported, with ."

So far, bond funds have gone toward painting and paving at Randall and Spangler elementary schools, painting at Thomas Russell Middle School and paving at Weller elementary school, the Milpitas Post reports.

Specific projects underway at other district schools are outlined on the MUSD site project list.

:

• The measure would increase property taxes by $50 per $100,000 of assessed value.

All bond money goes to the district to pay for upgrades like:

• Leaky roofs

• Science lab equipment improvements

• The construction of new classrooms

• Fire and earthquake safety upgrades

• Increased energy efficiency at district facilities

• Improved access for students with disabilities

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