Frequently Asked Questions

To ensure Miller Creek schools meet current instructional and safety standards, the Miller Creek School District (MCSD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to place a school improvement bond measure on the November 3, 2026, ballot. The measure will provide $67 million in dedicated local funding for repairs and upgrades to aging school facilities. It will also qualify MCSD for up to $7 million in state matching funding.

While MCSD strives to maintain an excellent education for students, classrooms across the District's campuses are aging and need repairs and upgrades to meet modern academic and safety standards. Aging infrastructure — including bathrooms, plumbing, roofs, electrical, heating and cooling systems — is in need of repairs and upgrades.

MCSD is currently completing a detailed assessment of all classrooms, school facilities and grounds in the District. School facility experts are evaluating school site conditions and providing recommendations on the priority repairs, upgrades, and modernization projects needed to support safe, functional, and modern learning environments for all students. That's why we need Measure N.

If approved by local voters, bond funds will be used to:

• Fix deteriorating bathrooms, plumbing, roofs, HVAC, and electrical systems
• Upgrade aging classrooms to support student achievement in math, science, technology, reading, writing, arts, and music
• Complete needed repair projects to provide safe, well-maintained classrooms and meet current educational standards
• Ensure all classrooms, playgrounds, and campuses are accessible for students, staff, and community members with disabilities
• Improve school security, including classroom locks, lighting, emergency communications, and cameras

By law, Measure N includes strict fiscal accountability protections to ensure responsible use of funds, including:

• No funds can be taken by the state or federal governments
• No funds can be used for administrators' salaries or benefits
• An independent oversight committee, annual audits, and public spending disclosure are mandatory

No, funds could not be taken by the county, state or federal governments, or used for other purposes. All funds from the bond measure will benefit MCSD schools only.

Measure N will generate $67 million in locally controlled funding for our neighborhood schools. If approved by local voters, the bond would cost taxpayers no more than $30 per $100,000 of assessed (not market) value, annually, while bonds are outstanding.

The cost of a bond measure like Measure N is based on the assessed value of properties. The assessed value of a property is based on the original purchase price and may not increase by more than 2% a year, while the market value tends to grow at a much faster rate based on market conditions. The assessed value of a property is usually much lower than the market value, especially if a property was purchased long ago at a much lower price than it could be purchased for today. It is this lower assessed value upon which the cost of a bond measure is based.

There are no other practical funding sources to address identified repairs and upgrades at local schools. Without a bond measure, MCSD would have to divert funding from teaching and classroom programs to address urgent and unavoidable facility repairs needed to keep aging schools functioning. This would require cuts to academic programs and increases in class sizes. Waiting to address school facility repairs and upgrades would make the projects more expensive to complete.

Even if you do not have school-age children, funding quality education can help improve the quality of life in our community and protect home values.

By state law, exemptions of any kind are not allowed for school facility improvement bond measures. However, the cost of any bond is based on the assessed value of taxpayers' properties. Seniors and other residents who have lived in their homes for a long time have the lowest assessed values and would pay the least.

Miller Creek has not proposed a bond measure for over a decade. In 2014, voters approved Measure C to address facility improvements identified at that time. Since then, facilities have continued to age and new needs have been identified. The independent oversight committee and annual audits confirm that Measure C funding was spent as promised and projects were completed on time. Audit and oversight committee reports can be found on the MCSD website.

Yes, like most school districts in Marin County, MCSD benefits from voter-approved parcel tax funding that supports teachers and academic programs. Parcel tax funding supports ongoing expenditures rather than facility improvements. A bond measure would provide dedicated funding for updates, modernization, and repairs to school facilities.

No. Terra Linda High School is part of San Rafael City Schools, a separate school district with a separate budget and funding sources. Measure N is just for MCSD, which includes three elementary schools and one middle school. Recent improvements to TLHS were funded by San Rafael City Schools.

All registered voters in the Miller Creek School District will be eligible to vote on the bond measure.

At least 55% of voters who cast a ballot on the measure must vote "Yes" in order for it to be approved.

The school improvement bond measure will be on the November 3, 2026 ballot.