Redlands voters will consider a $500 million bond on the November ballot to improve school facilities.

The school board voted unanimously Tuesday night, with board Clerk Jim O’Neil absent, to put the measure on the ballot.

The bond would be used to update electric wiring, fix roofs, repair sewer lines, remove mold and asbestos, upgrade safety systems, provide safe drinking water and update aging classrooms and equipment, a Redlands Unified School District report states.

“I have been pushing the building of the REV stadium, and if we get the bond, we will be able to build the stadium from top to bottom,” board President Alex Vara said.

Board Vice President Michele Rendler said that, though there are voters who may not feel the bond is important because their children are not in school, the success of local campuses directly affects surrounding communities and keeps them thriving.

“This is a small price to pay on your taxes to keep our schools in tip-top shape,” Rendler said.

Board member Melissa Ayala said it was time to upgrade classrooms to better support students and employees.

She said that during her time in the Smiley Elementary School PTA, the group hosted pancake breakfasts and were told to “be kind to the circuitry” because of its age and unreliability when they plugged in griddles. It’s important to update schools for the safety of all, she said.

Trustee Patty Holohan, a Redlands High School graduate, said she’s been out of high school for 46 years but knows there is a lot of wear and tear on campuses. It’s important for the community to get behind the bond so students and staff can enjoy updated and new facilities, Holohan said.

“Our schools are getting older, and I am getting older,” Holohan said. “It is just what happens.”

In the report, district officials said more than 80% of its schools are more than 60 years old and in urgent need of basic health and safety repairs.

The report states that many campuses were built on old grids, which have caused frequent power outages. A bond would allow the district to update electric wiring and bring in air conditioning and shade structures to combat severe heat, which disrupts learning, the report states.

The project list includes improvements at all high schools, four existing middle schools, 16 elementary schools and an early education facility. It also includes construction of a new middle school.

The measure would authorize $500 million in bonds, levying $45 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. On average, the bond is expected to bring in more than $25 million annually.

The bond needs two-thirds approval to pass and, if it does, expenses would be monitored by an oversight committee.

The district has two active bonds. Measure J, a $65 million bond, passed in 2008. Measure R, a $60 million bond, won approval in 2002.