Frequently Asked Questions About Measure D

Measure D will provide dedicated, locally controlled funding to repair and update Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD) schools and facilities to meet current safety and academic standards. All funds generated by Measure D must be used in RUSD schools and cannot be taken by the state.

Rocklin Unified School District’s (RUSD) award-winning schools serve almost 11,600 students in TK/Kindergarten–12th grade across 17 schools, including alternative education programs. Rocklin teachers and staff are dedicated to providing the structure and support needed to ensure that every student receives the highest-quality education and becomes a happy, healthy, productive member of society. Our students' state test scores are among the highest in the region, and RUSD has the highest graduation rate in the region.

Most of our schools were built 20-30 years ago, and two of our campuses are over 60 years old. While some modernization projects have been completed over the years, many classrooms and school facilities are outdated and need essential repairs and updates. These outdated classrooms and deteriorating facilities are more costly and less efficient to operate than school facilities that meet today’s academic and safety standards. Without increasing existing tax rates, Measure D will upgrade and renovate schools in the District to better educate local children and provide a safe learning environment.

Several improvements are needed to address the district's aging facilities. These include expanding and modernizing career technical education (CTE) facilities to better prepare students for post-graduation employment; repairing or replacing leaky roofs and deteriorating plumbing and sewer systems; making health, safety, and security improvements throughout RUSD classrooms and campuses; replacing outdated heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems; and constructing new classrooms to replace outdated portable units.

Voting Yes on Measure D will:

Measure D includes strict mandatory accountability requirements that ensure the funds are spent as promised, including:

No. By law, no funds from Measure D may be used for operating expenses, including administrator salaries and pensions. Funds may only be used to repair and upgrade Rocklin Unified schools and other facilities.  

Yes, in 2024, Rocklin Unified revised its Facilities Master Plan, which identified over $300 million in facility repair and modernization costs across our school campuses. The Facilities Master Plan identifies the specific projects with cost estimates that would be completed if Measure D is approved by local voters. The Facilities Master Plan is available to review here.

If passed by voters, Measure D will generate approximately $288.3 million to upgrade local schools and would cost about $59 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value (not market value) annually while bonds are outstanding. Based on current projections, it is unlikely that the current tax rates will increase because of Measure D.

No. The 2002 Measure B bonds are scheduled to be fully paid off in August 2028. If Measure D is approved by voters, RUSD may issue new bonds before the existing bonds are fully paid off. However, no debt service payment on the new bonds would be due until after the final payment on the current bonds in August 2028.

Under Proposition 39, the tax rate for the new bonds is structured so that it will be lower than the current school bond tax rate. This allows RUSD to begin funding important classroom and school facility improvements while ensuring that taxpayers' school bond tax rate does not increase and is expected to decrease.

The cost of bond measures is based on the assessed value of properties. The assessed value of a property is generally based on the original purchase price and may not increase by more than 2% per year under Prop 13, while the market value tends to grow much faster, depending on market conditions. Thus, the assessed value is typically lower than the market value, especially if a property was purchased long ago at a much lower price than it would cost today. It is this lower assessed value upon which the repayment cost of a bond measure is based.

Rocklin Unified has been judicious in saving money and dedicates $6 million annually for repairs and maintenance, keeping our schools open, safe, and functioning for local students. This annual allotment of funds is not enough to update our schools, which were built for another era and are no longer considered adequate to meet current safety and learning standards.

Yes. Measure D makes our schools eligible to receive about $82 million in State matching funds that would otherwise go to other school districts. To date, Rocklin Unified has successfully leveraged $97 million in matching funds from previous bond measures that would not have been available had voters not passed previous bonds.

Voters in the Rocklin Unified School District have approved three bonds in the past 35 years to accommodate growing enrollment. Both the 1991 and 1998 bonds are fully paid off, and the outstanding 2002 bond measure (Measure B) will be paid off in 2028. Funds from the previous bond measures were primarily used to build new schools to meet the needs of our growing city.

Whether or not you have school-age children, supporting local schools is a wise investment that improves our property values and local quality of life.

All registered voters residing within the Rocklin Unified School District are eligible to vote on Measure D. To be approved, a bond measure requires “YES” votes from 55% of the votes cast on the measure.

Measure D will be on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Whether or not you normally vote at the polls, all registered voters living in Placer County will be mailed a ballot the week of October 5th. Once you receive your ballot, vote YES on D, sign and seal the envelope, and mail it back right away. No postage is required. Mail ballots must be postmarked by November 3, 2026.

You can register to vote at www.registertovote.ca.gov. To find out more about voting in this election, please contact the Placer Registrar of Voters at (530)886-5650 or visit https://www.placercountyelections.gov.

Our campaign is a bipartisan, grassroots organization of parents and other community leaders dedicated to passing Measure D for local students and our community. Some ways you can help pass Measure D include volunteering some time to spread the word about Measure D, displaying a Yes on Measure D lawn sign at your home, or adding your name to our list of Measure D supporters!