Clovis Unified superintendent says Measure A school bond has been decided. Did it pass?

Clovis Unified’s closely contested $400 million Measure A school bond seems to have sealed a come-from-behind win with the latest ballot count update Monday afternoon, according to the district’s superintendent.

As of 4 p.m. Monday, Measure A was 2.36 percentage points ahead of the voter approval threshold with 57,659 “yes” votes, or 57.36%, compared to 42,866 votes that oppose it.

The school bond, which officials are banking on to finish construction of Clovis South High School, had been in a fight for survival since Election Night. After nearly two weeks, Clovis Unified Superintendent Corrine Folmer declared the bond’s victory in a Monday afternoon statement.

“Fresno County Election Office’s Nov. 18 update gives us confidence that our community has approved Measure A, and for that I am extremely grateful,” Folmer said.

“We have emphasized that this bond measure is critical to keeping our schools in the great shape they are in today and to finishing the much-needed Clovis South High School,” Folmer said. “As work on the Measure A project list gets underway, our commitment remains accountability, transparency, and pursuit of the highest standards in all that we do for our students, our team, and our community.”

About 7,100 ballots remain to be counted, according to the Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters. It’s unclear how many of those ballots include voters in the Clovis Unified area.

District leaders are breathing a sigh of relief with the apparent victory of Measure A, which had lagged behind the voter approval threshold on Election Night. At one point, the measure trailed just 25 votes short of approval.

Clovis Unified officials said the bond is urgently needed to finance the construction of the district’s sixth comprehensive high school, Clovis South High. District officials project it will cost $510 million to build a sprawling education center that will house a new high school and middle school set to open in the 2025-26 school year.

Measure A is expected to cover $180 million of the project’s outstanding costs. Other projects earmarked for Measure A funds include flooring and roof replacement, LED lighting upgrades, audio and video technology improvements. Clovis Unified is also planning to strengthen window glass in schools across the district.

This story was originally published November 18, 2024, 6:12 PM.