Murrieta homeowners would pay $60 per $100,000 of assessed value under a $359 million school bond now on their ballots.

Measure M, from the Murrieta Valley Unified School District (MVUSD), is one of the biggest items on local ballots landing in mailboxes this week. The Riverside County Registrar of Voters mailed 1.4 million vote-by-mail ballots on Monday, Oct. 5, for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election, and early in-person voting opened the same day at the registrar's office in Riverside.

The bond needs at least 55% approval under Proposition 39, a state law that sets rules for school facility bonds. The district says the bond would not raise the current tax rate because older bonds approved in the early 2000s are close to being paid off, and Measure M would extend that rate rather than add to it.

Over its life, the bond would generate an estimated $22 million a year and sunset in 2058-59.

Taxpayers would pay almost $714 million total, including interest, as first reported by the Press Enterprise in May.

What the district says it needs

MVUSD serves 21,712 students, and many of its schools were built more than 30 years ago. In the past year alone, the district reported more than 125 roof leaks across its campuses, according to the district's Measure M page. Heating and air-conditioning units at many sites are more than 25 years old and have failed during extreme heat.

More than 150 portable classrooms, all over 20 years old, are still in use. The district says many suffer from water leaks and structural damage.

Bond funds would go toward replacing deteriorating roofs, plumbing, gas and sewer lines, electrical systems and aging HVAC units. The money would also replace portables with permanent classrooms and upgrade science labs and career technical education facilities.

How the vote got here

The MVUSD Board of Education unanimously approved placing Measure M on the ballot on May 12. The vote drew a standing ovation from the audience, the Press Enterprise reported.

Board member Nancy Young pointed to a district survey showing strong support. "Seventy-five percent, that says a lot," Young said at the May 12 meeting, referring to results from a True North Research poll that found 60% to 73% of respondents favored a bond measure.

The path was not always smooth. In 2024, the board considered a smaller $198 million bond estimated at $26 per $100,000 of assessed value. That proposal was voted down twice by board members Nick Pardue and then-member Julie Vandegrift.

Superintendent Ward Andrus said at the May 12 board meeting that the bond is structured so it would not increase the current tax rate. An independent citizens' oversight committee of at least seven volunteers would review spending, and the bond is subject to mandatory annual audits, according to the district's FAQ page.

How to vote

Completed ballots must reach the registrar's office or any Riverside County vote center by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 will be accepted through Tuesday, Nov. 10. No postage is required on the return envelope.

Two 24-hour drop boxes sit outside the registrar's office at 2720 and 2724 Gateway Drive in Riverside. Additional drop-off locations are listed at voteinfo.net.

The deadline to register online or by mail is Monday, Oct. 19. Voters who miss it can still register conditionally from Oct. 20 through Election Day at registertovote.ca.gov or by calling 951-486-7200.

Early in-person voting at the registrar's office runs Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Nov. 3, hours extend from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.