Anderson Elementary School is one of the schools Dixon Unified School District has said it would direct funds from Measure U toward if the bond measure passes.

DIXON, CA (MPG) - Measure U, the bond issue local residents will vote on next month, represents the fourth time in the past 24 years that the Dixon Unified School District has asked residents for more money.

Voters passed a $30.4 million bond in 2016 and a $29.2 million bond in 2002, while a $32 million bond was defeated in 2010. This year’s general obligation facilities bond measure is valued at $49 million. 

Money from Measure U would go to repairing and upgrading aging classrooms, roofs, plumbing, technology and electrical infrastructure; upgrading disabled access; and installing security systems, fire alarms and fencing, District Superintendent Brett Barley said.

If passed, Measure U would result in an estimated $30 tax increase per $100,000 of property, according to district officials. The median sale price of a home in Dixon is approximately $640,000, which would mean an additional $192 a year in property taxes if the measure is approved.

That amount would be tacked on to what residents are already paying for Measure Q, the 2016 general obligation bond, and Measure J, the 2002 general obligation bond. 

Measure Q added about $27.57 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value to local homeowners’ tax bills in 2026. Property owners will continue to pay on Measure Q through 2043.

Measure J added about $34.71 per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value in 2026. Property owners will pay on Measure J through 2044.

If Measure U passes, the tax burden for the three bond measures combined would be more than $590 annually on a house assessed for $640,000. 

Homeowners are already paying a substantial sum for overall property taxes. A Dixon home assessed at $640,000 carries an annual property tax bill of more than $10,000. 

At least one Dixon resident said he’s wary of giving the district more money.

“What are we, their personal piggy bank/ATM?” said former Dixon Mayor Joe Anderson. “If the school district cannot establish a capital improvement and maintenance program to cover/fund the ongoing maintenance issues, then they need to attend a class or two.”

Dixon Unified School District serves approximately 3,060 students at three elementary schools, a middle school and two high schools. All homeowners and business owners within the district area are taxed for the repayment of general obligation school bonds. A 55 percent vote is required for approval of the measure.

Funds from Measure U would go “to fix deteriorating roofs, plumbing, gas, and electrical systems, remove asbestos/lead pipes, repair/upgrade aging classrooms, science labs, technology and school facilities to support college/career readiness in math, science, technology, arts, engineering, and skilled trades,” according to the official ballots for the Nov. 3 election.

“We have some buildings that are quite old, and they are in need of repair and renovation,” Barley said. “Some of our facilities are 60 years old or older. And some of our schools were built with modular structures and portables, which have reached the extent of their usefulness.”

The district has an annual budget of approximately $50 million. As much as 85 percent of that amount goes to salaries and benefits, leaving a diminished pool for everything else, from repairs to electricity to supplies, said Barley, who joined the district in 2024. 

The district’s facilities master plan reported that the “total estimated facility cost for both modernization and master planned campuses over the next 10 years is $170 million to $202 million.”

District officials believe that if Measure U passes, they will be able to secure additional funds from the state through Proposition 2, passed two years ago, which approved a $10 billion bond to pay for upgrades at K-12 schools and community colleges.

“One of the reasons why we decided to begin investigating a new bond now is because there is new state money available, and if we could bring matching funds in the future, we could essentially double the amount of money that we could spend to improve our facilities with that state match,” Barley said during a Measure Q Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee meeting in February.

Funds from Measure J, which received 67 percent approval from voters, and Measure Q, which garnered 60 percent approval, were used to upgrade aging and deteriorating schools, and to construct John Knight Middle School and Dixon High School.

Measure D, the 2010 bond measure, received less than 47 percent of votes. The $32 million in borrowed money from that proposed measure would have been spent to “acquire, construct, repair, and improve classrooms and support facilities, including career technical and vocational facilities, increase student access to modern technology, provide utility and energy efficiency improvements, and purchase leased facilities.”