FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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1 A SWEETWATER UNION HIGH Mello-Roos SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLICATION SEPTEMBER 2012 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS MELLO-ROOS 1

2 WHAT IS MELLO-ROOS? The Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 provides a flexible alternative method for local governments to finance capital projects. This legislation allows cities, counties, and special districts to designate specific areas as Community Facilities Districts (CFD) and allows these CFD s to issue bonds and collect special taxes to finance such projects. These Community Facilities Districts included newly developing areas with the school district and were formed to finance school facilities needed to serve students residing in these new developments. A CFD may finance projects with a specific benefit to the CFD, such as streets, water, sewer, and drainage facilities, as well as projects of a more general nature, such as parks, schools and libraries and equipment. Within the communities served by the Sweetwater Union High School District, there are 17 Community Facilities Districts. HOW DOES THE DISTRICT USE THESE FUNDS? The Sweetwater Union High School District has pooled all Mello-Roos special taxes into one revenue stream to secure indebtedness which has funded numerous projects for the benefit of students who live within the CFD s. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS MELLO-ROOS 2

3 WHAT PERCENTAGE OF SUHSD FAMILIES PAY MELLO-ROOS? CFD Students 25% Approximately 25% of Sweetwater students live within CFD s. CFD Students Sweetwater Students ARE THE FUNDS COLLECTED SPENT ACROSS THE DISTRICT? The money follows the student. The special taxes collected from homeowners in the 17 Community Facilities Districts have been and will continue to be used only to meet the needs of current and projected students residing in the Community Facilities Districts and not to subsidize the general needs of students from other areas of the school district. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS MELLO-ROOS 3

4 W H Y D I D T H E B O A R D V O T E T O A P P R O V E RAISING MELLO-ROOS FEES BY 2% THIS YEAR? An annual 2 percent increase in Mello- Roos special taxes has been standard practice since the first Community Facilities Districts in the Sweetwater District were formed in At the time each of the CFD s were formed, the Board adopted a Rate and Method of Apportionment (RMA) for each CFD detailing the amount of the special tax and prescribed the indexing for the special tax to adjust upward by 2 percent annually. The RMA is included in the Notice of Special Tax Lieu recorded on the title of each CFD home. In addition, each homeowner, at the time they purchased their home, was provided with documentation prior to the close of escrow informing them of the rate of the special tax and the annual 2 percent index for the term of the Mello-Roos levy. the maximum number of prospective buyers to qualify for home loans while still enabling the CFD s to finance the school facilities needed to serve students residing in the CFD s. DO ALL PARTS OF THE DISTRICT PAY THE SAME AMOUNT OF MELLO-ROOS? Mello Roos is paid by residents of planned communities including Eastlake, Otay Ranch, Ocean View Hills in Otay Mesa, San Ysidro s Remington Hills and several other small communities throughout National City and Imperial Beach. The 2 percent annual indexing allowed the initial Mello-Roos special tax rate to be set as low as possible to allow FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS MELLO-ROOS 4

5 SWEETWATER DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS 1. The Sweetwater District Shined at the 2012 San Diego County Salute to Teachers event. Emily Jimenez from Rancho de Rey Middle was named one of the five San Diego County Teachers of the Year. Terrance Smith of Chula Vista High was named among the top 10 teachers. 2. Sweetwater offers a one-of-a-kind promise to students participating in the Compact for Success guaranteed admission to San Diego State University. This year the Compact was given an Innovation Award by the College Board. 3. Beginning this school year, every 7th grade student in the Sweetwater District will be assigned an ipad tablet computer as their primary learning tool allowing students to take tests, do homework and communicate with their teachers. 4. All twelve of Sweetwater's comprehensive high schools were named Silver Medal winners, placing them among the top nine percent schools in the nation in the annual ranking of schools by U.S. News & World Report. 5. National City Middle won the Excellence in Urban Education Award and was named one of the top four middle schools in the nation by the National Center for Urban School Transformation. Granger Junior High was also among the finalists for this award. 6. Sweetwater s District Robotics Program won the Inspire Award from the Classroom of the Future Foundation for their innovative after-school clubs at 15 middle and high schools. 7. Ten Sweetwater schools exceeded the 800-point target score on the Academic Performance Index in 2012 Bonita Vista Middle, EastLake Middle, Granger Junior High, Rancho del Rey Middle, Bonita Vista High, Eastlake High, Hilltop High, Olympian High, Otay Ranch High and Sweetwater High. 8. Sweetwater District graduation rate is higher than the state and county averages while the crop out rate is below the state and county rates. The graduate rate increased from 78.6% in 2010 to 79.5% in 2011 decreased dropouts from 10% in 2010 to 8.3% in The Sweetwater District continues to open new school facilities thanks to Prop O. This year new facilities were unveiled at Sweetwater High, National City Middle, Montgomery High and Southwest Middle. This fall facilities will be opened at Southwest High and construction just got underway at Montgomery Middle. 10. The San Ysidro High School Medical Pathways Program won the Impact Award from the Classroom of the Future Foundation and a cash prize of $10, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS MELLO-ROOS 5

CITY OF EL CENTRO. A Homeowner s Guide to. Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts

CITY OF EL CENTRO. A Homeowner s Guide to. Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts CITY OF EL CENTRO A Homeowner s Guide to Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts 1 This guide is intended to provide general information about Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts (CFDs). Contents