Now that the Manteca Unified board has given its blessing to artificial turf and an all-weather track at Weston Ranch High, they will seek input on what the community would like done for the same athletic facilities at Manteca High and East Union High.

A board workshop for that purpose takes place Tuesday at the Manteca High Dorothy Mulvihill Theatre, 450 E. Yosemite Ave., at 6 p.m.

And while the community members that attend the workshop may reach a consensus, there is a big question about where the funding will come from for whatever the board ultimately agrees to as the standard for each respective high school.

The board has agreed to allocate $2.9 million in Mello-Roos receipts that are collected specifically within the Weston Ranch neighborhood for that high school’s stadium upgrades.

Such an option may not exist for either East Union or Manteca high schools.

While parts of the East Union High attendance area is within another Mello-Roos district it is not clear whether stadium upgrades qualify as a legal use of the funds. Manteca High has never been included in a Mello-Roos district for project funding.

The Mello Roos or community facilities district for East Union and Sierra was formed in 1989 with a maximum bond funding authorization of $90 million. There were $45,350,000 in bonds issued that have a current outstanding balance of $33,820,000. Homeowners within the CFD paid $1,412,699 during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015.

The bonds paid for the East Union High stadium upgrade plus helped pay for Woodward School, McParland School, and Stella Brockman Annex, the Woodward Annex property purchase, and Lathrop High.

There is $44,650,000 in bonds that can still be issued that’s based on future homes yet to be built.

The district has made it clear school bond funds can’t be used.

That leaves developer fees paid at the time new homes are built.

The development fee account generated $3,349,457 last fiscal year. That included $2,977,916 in developer fees and $32,385 in interest on collected fees that are invested until needed. The district spent $2,520,162 from the mitigation fee account during the last fiscal.

District administration has stressed that spending money on upgrades at stadiums could short change or delay other desired projects such as those connected with the visual and performing arts or facilities that would complement academics.

A workshop planned for the Lathrop High School Theater on Tuesday, March 1, at 6 p.m. is focusing on Lathrop and Sierra high schools.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dewyatt@mantecabulletin.com