South San Francisco, CA April 17, 2023 Submitted by Peter Fong, SSFUSD PIO
The South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD) could start selling general obligation bonds to investors as early as late April 2023.
That’s according to SSFUSD’s Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, Ted O, who broke the news to the school board during its March 23, 2023 meeting.
O said the district will sell bonds to investors in three separate series over the next few years as part of the “Measure T” bond program:
• $150 million in 2023;
• $150 million in 2026; And
• $136 million in 2029.
“Depending on how quickly the projects are completed and the funds are used up, these years can also be adjusted,” said O.
SSFUSD Facilities Advisor Bill Savidge said the district will focus on the construction priorities outlined in its Facilities Master Plan.
This includes sewer lines, drainage and electrical systems, roofs, windows, lighting, floors and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
Meanwhile, Facility Director Wazi Chowdhury said SSFUSD’s construction requirements have become increasingly complex over time due to years of delayed maintenance.
“Ironically, if you don’t touch a building, you don’t have to upgrade a building to the newer codes,” Chowdhury said, “so we’ve been living with inferior systems, so we have to be very clear and transparent when explaining to people, that we have things to do that might not just show up – they can be underground – they can be behind the walls, but they have to be done.”
Savidge added that the district would need to hire additional staff to oversee the new construction.
“To manage a program of this size. . .We need to increase internal staff as well as hire some consulting teams like program and project management and construction management firms to help us manage these programs.”
Passed by voters in the November 2022 midterm elections, Measure T allows SSFUSD to issue up to $436 million in general commitment bonds to fund repairs and renovations of schools and buildings across the district, improve security systems, and Build affordable housing for district workers.
