Carmel Unified School District is asking voters to approve a $250 million bond measure on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to overhaul aging campuses where some buildings date to 1939.

The measure, called Measure I, is one of two school facility bonds on the Monterey County ballot. North Monterey County Unified is also seeking $40 million through Measure L, bringing the combined ask to $290 million, as first reported by KSBW.

Both measures require 55% approval to pass.

What Measure I would fund

Measure I targets facility needs identified in Carmel Unified's 2019 master plan. According to the district's facilities page, the board identified roughly $258 million in priority projects after a series of discussions throughout 2026. The bond itself would authorize $250 million.

The district's oldest building sits at Carmel High School and was built in 1939. Some buildings at Tularcitos School date to the 1940s. The district said it has invested nearly $3 million annually in maintenance but many facility needs remain unmet. Its last successful bond measure passed in 2005.

Jon Guidi, chairman of the Yes on I Committee and a member of the district's budget advisory committee, told KSBW that campuses face needs ranging from deferred maintenance to new construction. He said past repairs amounted to "a band-aid approach, and this is to address more permanent structural upgrades."

Property owners in the district would pay about $36 per $100,000 of assessed value. That rate is below the $60 per $100,000 maximum California law allows for a unified school district, according to the district. Carmel Unified holds a AAA credit rating from S&P. Guidi said the funds could only go toward construction-related work, not salaries or general operations.

The bond language is broad. Monterey County Now noted that Measure I does not specify exactly where work will happen and gives the board latitude for projects including athletic fields, pools and bleachers. Not every project on every campus would be funded, and some of the bond's impact depends on how much state matching money the district obtains.

The Monterey County Elections Office listed no official rebuttal argument against Measure I, according to KSBW.

Measure L: North Monterey County's $40 million ask

North Monterey County Unified's Measure L would fund basic repairs across all seven of the district's campuses, which serve more than 4,000 students. Superintendent Dr. Matt Turkie told KSBW the money would address HVAC systems, roof repairs, lead pipes, aging windows and doors.

The $40 million bond represents about one-fifth of the $200 million district officials have estimated is needed to upgrade all facilities, Monterey County Now reported. The North Monterey County Unified board voted 4-1 to place the measure on the ballot, with one dissenting member suggesting a presidential election year would draw more voters.

If approved, property owners would pay roughly $32 per $100,000 of assessed value, raising about $2.8 million per year.

Opposition has formed. A website opposing Measure L argues that families, seniors and local businesses are already squeezed by rising costs, according to KSBW. Critics point to what they call unfulfilled promises from past measures, including a middle school promised under Measure E in 2002 that was never built and $23 million authorized under Measure H in 2013 for projects that appear again in Measure L.

Voters will decide both measures on Tuesday, Nov. 3.