Local Funding
Repairs and Upgrades to Prepare Local Students for the Future
Los Gatos and Saratoga High Schools have a reputation of being among the highest-performing high schools in the entire state and nation, which contributes to high local property values and a strong sense of community.
Maintaining and Updating Our Aging High Schools
Our District maintenance team works hard to keep schools in good condition, yet many school facilities, some of which are over 100 years old, need repairs and upgrades at each campus. Some classrooms, athletic facilities, cafeterias, and other school infrastructure contain dry rot, leaky roofs, and outdated plumbing and electrical systems that need replacing. Additionally, parking lots and pick-up/drop-off areas create traffic congestion and present safety concerns. Finally, educational technology has not been upgraded in decades and does not support modern instructional methods.
Addressing these issues now will help to avoid ongoing costly repairs, keep students safe, and provide teachers with the tools they need to support student success.
Local Funding to Repair & Upgrade Our Local Schools
In order to address these identified school facility improvements, the Los Gatos-Saratoga District Board of Trustees is considering placing a school facilities bond measure on the November 2026 ballot. If approved by voters, the potential measure would cost $30 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed (not market) value per year, while bonds are outstanding, and would provide $321 million in locally controlled school funding for repairs and upgrades, that could include:
● Repairing leaky roofs
● Updating failing school restrooms
● Replacing failing plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling systems
● Addressing traffic and safety concerns at school parking lots and pick-up/drop-off areas
● Modernizing science, technology, arts, math, robotics, and career technical education classrooms and labs
● Renovating aging and outdated cafeterias, indoor athletic facilities, and physical education classrooms
Strict Fiscal Accountability and Local Control
Any potential bond measure would require strict fiscal accountability and transparency protections, including:
● By law, every penny from a potential measure must be spent on Los Gatos High School and Saratoga High School, and no funds could be taken by the State
● By law, an independent citizens’ oversight committee and mandatory annual audits would ensure that all funds would be spent as promised
● Funds could not be used to pay administrators’ salaries or benefits
● The potential measure would include a detailed project list outlining how bond measure funds could be used at each high school
Community Input Is a Critical Component of Our Planning Process
Planning for the future of education funding in our local high schools should be a community-driven process. For more information or to ask questions, please contact Tanya De La Cruz at tdelacruz@lgsuhsd.org or (408) 354-2520.
Learn More About Locally Controlled Parcel Funding