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Measure O - Portola Valley School District Parcel Tax (May 2013)
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Argument in Favor of Measure G | Argument Against Measure G |
Since 2006, the California State government has severely decreased public education funding affecting all school districts. The San Bruno Park School District has been able to protect the “classroom” from decreasing revenues by implementing numerous cost cutting measures, leveraging public funds wisely to insure the fiscal solvency of the school district, building a new middle school, attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers and staff, and providing a high quality education for our children. However, we now need additional revenue in order to sustain our excellent public education in San Bruno. Measure G will be the first educational parcel tax to go before the San Bruno voters in order to generate approximately $2 million annually for five years. The moneys obtained will be used for the following: • Provide local control over revenue that the State cannot take away • Reduce the impact of State funding cuts to SBPSD neighborhood schools, which could be $1.5 million for 2012-13 • Sustain our high quality neighborhood schools • Reduce combination classes in K-5 grades and continue to increase academic performance throughout the SBPSD • Attract and retain highly qualified teachers to ensure academic success in all our public schools • Reduce the cost of special education by providing high quality, efficient special education services in San Bruno • Fund curriculum reform to ensure orderly transition to common core standards in the next few years The monies generated will be carefully monitored by a Citizens’ Oversight Committee composed of members of the community, parents, and teachers who will have access to annual expense reports and internal and external audits. NO monies raised will be used for administrator compensation. An exemption to this educational parcel tax will be granted to seniors above 65. Therefore, we are asking the San Bruno community to vote YES for Measure G for our children’s future. /s/ Kathryn Marinos, Technology Teacher /s/ Berta J. Tovar, R.E. Broker /s/ Scott Curtner, Elementary School Parent /s/ Ken Ibarra, Vice Mayor, City of San Bruno |
This latest special parcel tax ($199) from the San Bruno School District tries to use the state budget crisis to grab unearned money. The district wants additional funds beyond the bond measures passed in 2011, 1998, and 1996. Homeowners already feel the pinch of difficult financial times. With the California unemployment rate “officially” at 10.7% (the national average = 8.3%) and the real rate that includes people who have stopped looking for work much higher, Measure G will hurt all but those who are exempt from the tax. The district is asking for more money, while student enrollment is declining. The number of teachers (full time equivalents) has declined from 123.7 in the 2008-9 school year to 101.8 in the 2010-11 school year. They want more money while both the number of students and teachers are declining. If the district has fewer student and fewer teachers, shouldn’t expenses be down? Families’ budgets are being slashed throughout the district’s homesundefinedwhy not for School District? This parcel tax will also inhibit the recovery of home prices on the Peninsula. The measure says that none of the funds will be used for administration. But, funds generated outside of this parcel tax can be used for administration expenses without limits. So, that is really an empty promise. Do not be fooled. Here are the student enrollment figures and average teacher salaries: 2010-11 enrollment: 2,599 – teacher average salary 2009-10 enrollment: 2,620 – teacher average salary 2008-9 enrollment: 2,619 – teacher average salary Tell the San Bruno Park School Board to be fiscally responsible by voting NO on G. For more information: www.SVTaxpayers.org/measure-g /s/ John Roeder, President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association /s/ Harland Harrison, Chair, Libertarian Party of San Mateo County CA |
Rebuttal to |
Rebuttal to Argument Against Measure G |
How bad does a parcel tax measure have to be to vote NO on it? In a 7/26/2012 newspaper interview, San Bruno Park School District (SBPSD) Board Member Jennifer Blanco explained her vote against putting this parcel tax on the Election Ballot by saying that although she generally favors the idea of a parcel tax, she considered the proposed language too vague and the timing poor. When one of the SBPSD Board’s strongest supporters of parcel taxes votes against a parcel tax measure, that’s a huge red flag indicating that you should also VOTE NO. Fiscal responsibility starts by living within your means. The San Bruno Park School District Administration and Board have proven they are not fiscally responsible. The San Bruno Park School District’s 2012-2013 Proposed Budget proclaims: “The District continues to deficit spend.” The San Bruno Park School District Board and Superintendent have refused to make the budget adjustments necessary to stop the San Bruno Park School District’s chronic deficit spending. Now they want San Bruno Park School District taxpayers to pay higher even more. During this recession, you and your family struggle to cope with higher taxes plus increasing gas, food, utilities, housing, and medical expenses. All this is the financial version of “death by 1,000 cuts.” This parcel tax will reward and invite more deficit spending in the San Bruno Park School District--unless you VOTE NO to stop it. You can be for children, for schools, for teachers, and against Measure G. Please vote NO on Measure G. More here: www.SaveSanBrunoSchools.com or www.SVTaxpayers.org/measure-g. /s/ John W.S. Roeder, President: Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association /s/ Harland Harrison, Chair, Libertarian Party of San Mateo County |
The opposition to Measure G comes from outsiders (not from the San Bruno community) who have made misleading and false statements, for example, 2011 Bond Measure O PASSED (it did NOT!). San Bruno Park School District (established 1907) has never before asked the San Bruno community for an educational parcel tax. The SBPSD has lost $4-5 million annually from State cuts and the district has accomplished fiscal solvency by: • Elimination of Class Size Reduction program from 20 to 31 students in each class • Joint site sharing of principals • No salary increases for teachers, staff and administration since 2007 • Loss of teacher and staff professional development days • Elimination of two assistant superintendents • No new instructional materials adoption since 2007 • Reduction in the number of purchased books for school libraries • Elimination of elementary school music and GATE programs On the revenue side, the SBPSD has installed solar panels on all school sites to offset increasing electrical costs, generated rent income from Engvall site, and set aside funds for medical benefits in retirement to offset mandatory annual payments. Therefore, SBPSD has been fiscally responsible. If Measure G doesn’t pass, painful budget cuts to the SBPSD could occur. The options are grim: cut up to 20 school days from the 2012-13 school year, and/or closure of one or more neighborhood elementary schools in 2013-14. The time to act is now on Election Day to vote YES on Measure G: maintain Great neighborhood schools and preserve an excellent public education for the children of San Bruno. /s/ Teri Vo, President of Parkside School Site Council /s/ Julia Maynard, San Bruno Education Association President /s/ Marcella Gigena, Parent, Parkside |