KBRA Assigns AAA Rating to Various San Diego Unified School District, CA General Obligation Bonds; Affirms Rating for Parity Bonds
24 Sep 2026 | New York
KBRA assigns a long-term rating of AAA to the San Diego Unified School District (San Diego County, California): 2026 General Obligation Bonds (Dedicated Unlimited Ad Valorem Property Tax Bonds) (Election of 2008, Series Q-1) (Federally Taxable); 2026 General Obligation Bonds (Dedicated Unlimited Ad Valorem Property Tax Bonds) (Election of 2008, Series Q-2); 2026 General Obligation Bonds (Dedicated Unlimited Ad Valorem Property Tax Bonds) (Election of 2018, Series J-1) (Federally Taxable); 2026 General Obligation Bonds (Dedicated Unlimited Ad Valorem Property Tax Bonds) (Election of 2018, Series J-2); 2026 General Obligation Bonds (Dedicated Unlimited Ad Valorem Property Tax Bonds) (Election of 2022, Series D-1) (Federally Taxable); and, 2026 General Obligation Bonds (Dedicated Unlimited Ad Valorem Property Tax Bonds) (Election of 2022, Series D-2). KBRA additionally affirms the long-term rating of AAA for the District's outstanding General Obligation Bonds.
The rating Outlook is Stable.
Key Credit Considerations
The rating actions reflect the following key credit considerations:
Credit Positives
- Robust bondholder protections are afforded by the California Constitution and state law.
- Substantial, diverse and growing tax base provides highly reliable source of G.O. debt repayment.
- The statutory framework for fiscal monitoring and reporting outlined in A.B. 1200 is a key credit strength.
Credit Challenges
- Assessed value growth is tempered by Proposition 13 of 1978 which limits the appreciation of existing residential property to the lesser of 2% or inflation in the absence of significant improvement or transfer in ownership.
Rating Sensitivities
For Upgrade
- Not applicable at AAA rating level.
For Downgrade
- Significant tax base declines which would necessitate a substantial increase in the tax rate for debt service.
- While not anticipated, legislative or judicial outcomes that are not consistent with KBRA’s understanding of the protections afforded to G.O. bondholders by the security structure and by the statutory framework for school district bankruptcies in the State.
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