The School Board may call for a capital override election this November.

This would come on the heels of voters in November 2013 approving an $8 million bond issue and budget overrides for the district.

Executive Director of Business and Support Services Lisa Martinez presented an overview of capital override basics and reasons for extending an override already in place.

As Martinez explained, a capital override would approve a secondary tax levy to pay for the district’s capital needs that cannot be met by the district’s budget, which has seen a steady number of cutbacks over the past 10 years.

The district currently has a $750,000 capital override in place that runs through the 2014-15 academic year.

Martinez explained that, if approved, this year’s capital override would once again avoid raising taxes, instead maintaining the existing rate.

Martinez went on to address the concerns of those who are questioning why FHUSD would host override elections two years in a row.

“The 2013 election was for maintenance and operations and bonds while this one would apply to capital,” Martinez explained.

“These funds are used in two different ways and their projects don’t overlap.”

Martinez explained that the M&O override tackles bigger district projects while the capital override provides funds for “smaller, but equally important, district needs.”

Martinez’s presentation stated that approximately 85 percent of the district’s M&O budget pays for salaries and benefits, with the remaining balance going toward classroom supplies, purchase services, utilities and the like.

“$60 million in district assets need to be maintained and the ongoing upgrades cannot be supported out of M&O,” reads the report.

“The recent bond is funding larger projects: security implementations, energy management upgrades, building and site improvement, etc.”

The capital override, on the other hand, would provide ongoing funds for computers, projectors, smartboards, electronic readers/books, updated assessment tools, textbooks, kitchen equipment, instructional software, mechanical equipment, furniture and the like.

With the current capital plan running through the 2014-15 school year, failure in a November election would result in the district having to absorb a difference of $750,000 in its annual budget.

At the board’s discretion, Martinez explained that the next step would be to reconvene the superintendent’s bond/capital advisory committee and have administration proceed with capital override-related activities to prepare for the November election.

A discussion item at the May 28 meeting, the board will revisit the capital override election topic at a future date.