Nearly $1.2 million has been raised so far this year by committees in support of six Fresno-area school and community college bond measures, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission.

Measures A, H, M, Q, U, and X will be on the ballot in their respective jurisdictions — Clovis Unified, Fresno Unified, Sanger Unified, State Center Community College District, Sierra Unified, and Central Unified — and would raise a total of $1.9 billion in property tax revenues for facilities.

Perhaps not surprisingly, building industry firms such as architects and contractors are some of the biggest donors to the six campaigns, which are being run independently of the school districts and SCCCD.

Six for Six

Darden Architects of Fresno, which has won many school design contracts in the region in recent years, has donated to all six bond measure campaigns for a total of $72,000 as of campaign finance reports filed through Friday.

The largest was $25,000 to State Center’s Measure Q campaign committee and the smallest, $1,500, went to Sierra Unified’s Measure U campaign committee.

Bush Construction of Hanford also has donated to all six campaigns for a total of $53,000. The donations range from $3,000 for the Measure U campaign to $20,000 for Clovis Unified’s Measure A campaign.

PBK Architects, which has an office in Fresno, has donated a total of $52,500 split among four of the bond measure campaigns, with $2,500 going to Measure U and $20,000 apiece to Measure A and Fresno Unified’s Measure H campaigns.

Big Money for Campaigns

State Center’s Measure Q would provide $698 million in property tax revenues collected over a four-county region that includes most of Fresno County and portions of Madera, Tulare, and Kings counties. That campaign committee has raised $573,660 so far this year, including $450,000 from the State Center foundation.

The donors listed include the district’s college presidents and Chancellor Carole Goldsmith, Trustees Deborah Ikeda and Danielle Parra, who are running unopposed on the November ballot, and Austin Ewell, a local businessman who was the only candidate to file for the Area 7 trustee seat being vacated by Richard Caglia.

Fresno Unified’s Measure H would provide $500 million in property tax revenues in the district, which includes the city’s oldest neighborhoods. As of Friday the campaign committee, which is sponsored by the Fresno Teachers Association, had raised $74,138. The total includes $61,000 in cash and $13,138 in in-kind services such as canvassing from the FTA PAC and the Valley Forward Action Fund, whose supporters include various labor unions.

Clovis Unified’s Measure A would provide $400 million in property tax revenues from north Fresno and Clovis residents. The Measure A committee has reported donations this year totaling $290,249, including $280,823 in cash and $9,426 in nonmonetary donations.

The Measure A donors list includes Superintendent Corrine Folmer and 22 other Clovis Unified administrators and staffers, and former Fresno Unified Trustee Brooke Ashjian, who donated $10,000.

Sanger Unified’s Measure M would raise $175 million in property tax revenues from district residents in Sanger and portions of Fresno’s Sunnyside area. The Measure M committee reported donations so far of $186,013, including $36,463 from the Foundation for Sanger Schools and $1,000 from Terry Bradley, Clovis Unified’s former superintendent and now an education consultant.

Smaller Bond Measures

Central Unified’s Measure X would raise $109 million in property tax revenues from residents in northwest and west Fresno. The bond measure campaign committee reported $57,101 in contributions through Friday.

Sierra Unified, which is 0-2 on past bond measure efforts. hopes the third time will be the charm. Measure U’s $24 million in property taxes collected from mountain and foothills residents east of Fresno would go for much-needed repairs and improvements at Sierra High School. The Measure U committee reported raising $16,800 as of Friday.