The Capistrano Unified School District board of trustees was presented with a third option for proposing a bond measure on the November ballot at its July 13 meeting.

Between an $889 million general obligation bond and creating six School Facilities Improvement Districts, the Capistrano Unified School District board of trustees chose to follow the third option: to create a districtwide SFID that excludes Rancho Mission Viejo and its lone school, Esencia Elementary.

The board decided, in a 6-1 vote, with Board Vice President Jim Reardon opposed, to create the SFID. Earlier in the meeting, the board unanimously voted to abandon the idea of the general obligation bond, which would have included Rancho Mission Viejo.

The basis for the board’s decision was focusing on current needs and excluding potential future needs.

“For those living in newer areas, we don’t know how long it will take before they get their needs met,” Reardon said. He later added that assessing a tax to be put in place before residents move into new developments could make potential homebuyers think twice.

The board discussed creating a separate SFID for Rancho Mission Viejo, with a bond amount of $40 million based on future need. The district estimates three other schools will be built in the area, according to a presentation by the district staff. The board chose to hold that decision indefinitely.

The proposed district-wide SFID maintains the current status of the bond measure. CUSD hopes to secure $889 million in bonds to make improvements to facilities across the district. Should it pass, it would create an estimated tax levy of $43 per $100,000 of assessed value per home and would stick to a 10-year implementation plan, where the district gets five $178 million bond installments every two years starting in 2017.

The district spans 200 square miles in south Orange County and has more than 50,000 students in seven cities and unincorporated areas. Of the district’s 62 schools, nearly 70 percent are more than 20 years old and 30 percent at least 40 years old, the district reported.

“We need to just get it done and go back to focusing on educating the kids,” trustee Lynn Hatton-Hodson said.

The district board also discussed the six individual SFIDs. Trustee Gila Jones said individual cities would have the opportunity to assess their needs, which could make them more likely to vote for the bonds.

But Board President Amy Hanacek expressed concern that some cities could vote out of the measure, leaving their schools untouched.

“What if they choose not to take it?” she asked. “They’ll be out for the next several years.”

The board will meet again Wednesday, with district staff set to present small changes to the districtwide SFID.

A list of proposed projects by school can be viewed at capousd.org by clicking the tab “Proposed Projects by School Site” under the Quick Links section.

Contact the writer: npercy@ocregister.com