How San Diego's school bond measures could impact property taxes

How it works: Local school districts borrow this money to pay for capital improvements like school construction and building repairs, not teacher salaries.

• It's a similar concept to taking out a mortgage to buy a home, but the principal and interest are repaid by residents through increased annual property taxes. And because it takes years to pay them back, that accrued interest makes the total cost more than the amount listed on the ballot.
• How much a particular homeowner will pay depends on the assessed values of their home, not the current market price.
• Local bond measures need 55% support to pass.

The big picture: The proposed measures range from about $3 million to $360 million to fund various projects across multiple K-12 schools, including:

• Renovating and adding classrooms, labs, and STEM facilities
• Upgrading security and technology
• Fixing deteriorating roofs and HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems

Zoom in: San Diego Unified does not have any school bond measures on the ballot, but 16 other districts do, from South Bay up to North County. (Each tax increase listed below is per $100,000 of the assessed valuation of a home and property.)

• For Sweetwater Union High School District, the county's second-largest, Measure RR would authorize $647 million of bonds, a $30 tax increase.
• South Bay Union has two separate measures with $30 increases each. Measure PP would expand STEM-related facilities and upgrade security systems, while Measure QQ would go toward building repairs and renovations.
• San Marcos Unified is pursuing a $324 million of bonds, a $40 tax increase.
• Cajon Valley Union's Measure W would authorize $280 million of bonds, a $27 tax increase.
• Encinitas Union's Measure Z would authorize $158.3 million of bonds, a $19 tax increase.
• Warner Unified, a small, rural district, has one of the smallest total bond amounts at $3.8 million, a $38 tax increase, to install a much-needed drinking well and treatment system.

See the full list of measures

On top of the K-12 district measures, voters will see community college districts asking for much bigger pots of money.

• San Diego Community College: Measure HH would authorize $3.5 billion of bonds, a $59 tax increase per $100,000, aimed at repairing and building new campus housing, classrooms and labs, performance venues, academic resource centers and other decades-old facilities.

• Southwestern Community College District: Measure SW would authorize $800 million of bonds, a $25 tax increase per $100,000, to fix aging campus buildings, and upgrade or add performing arts, education and STEM classrooms, labs and technology.

Case in point: Chula Vista residents will vote on three school bond measures for elementary, high school and college districts with tax increases of $29, $30 and $25 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, respectively.

• So, if all three pass, someone with a home valued at $500,000 would pay an extra $420 a year in property taxes.

Zoom out: Statewide, voters will see Proposition 2 on their ballots, which would allow the state to borrow $10 billion to renovate or build public school and community college facilities.

• If it passes, California school districts whose local bond measures have also passed will be vying for that money to subsidize their construction projects.

Between the lines: Though the majority of school bond measures pass, it's become more challenging as the cost of living rises and competing measures fill up ballots that can feel overwhelming and expensive to voters, the Union-Tribune reported.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show Encinitas Union's Measure Z would authorize $158.3 million (not $9.2 million) of bonds.