July 27, 2004

Election 2004

Local school districts to place parcel tax vote on November ballot

By Bea Baechle
Editor

Both local public school districts serving the Evergreen community—the East Side Union High School District and the Evergreen School District—will be asking voters to pass a parcel tax on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.

Parcel taxes are typically used for instructional materials and programs, unlike a bond measure that usually funds new buildings and other construction. They require a two-thirds or 66.6 percent voter approval to pass. All the funds will be spent locally and not transferred to the state.

Increasing costs, coupled with state-imposed budget cuts to education, have taken their toll upon both school districts. In the shadow of the worst state deficit in California’s history, the ESUHSD and ESD are both operating at a deficit.

ESD
The Evergreen School District serves about 12,000 students in 15 elementary schools and three middle schools. The ESD is recognized as a cutting-edge leader among school districts by the California State Department of Education. Every single school in the district has been honored as a California Distinguished School.

ESD will ask voters to consider an annual $94 assessment per parcel of land for four years, or roughly $7.80 a month effective July 2005. This would bring about $1.9 million of funding into the district per year.

A group of ESD residents have formed the “Evergreen Citizens for Local Schools” (ECLS) committee to organize the effort to pass this parcel tax in November.

“This funding is crucial to maintain the high quality of education that we currently enjoy in the Evergreen School District,” said Evelyn Allen, ECLS committee member and parent in the district. “I encourage everyone who has children or cares about the education of children to help us pass this measure.”

If the parcel tax passes, funds will be targeted to support four important educational goals:
- Safeguard small class-size ratios for grades K-3
- Keep the school libraries open
- Maintain the quality of technology in every school
- Ensure a current textbook for every child.

“We will not let the current state budget crisis diminish the quality of education our students currently receive,” said Will Ector, principal of James F. Smith Elementary School. “Our schools are the pride of our community, and working together we can ensure that they remain outstanding.”

The committee offered these suggestions as to how Evergreen residents can help:
- Register and vote to adopt the local parcel tax in the November election
- Talk to friends and family to encourage them to vote in support of this measure
- Volunteer to make phone calls, address envelopes or walk door-to-door
- Make a tax-deductible contribution to: Evergreen Citizens for Local Schools to defray campaign expenses.

The committee will establish headquarters here in the Evergreen area. Interested individuals who would like to assist with this measure or make donations to this effort may do so by contacting Evelyn Allen or Will Ector at ecls2004@ev1.net.

“We have been able to minimize cuts to date due to the budget reserves made possible by the previous superintendent and board,” said Andrade. In the 2000-2001 school year, for example, the Evergreen School District had $18 million in budget reserves.

Every year thereafter, ESD has been using money from the reserves, and the district has reduced its operating budget by 20 percent. Without the passage of a parcel tax, the district’s reserves are projected to dip below the state-mandated 3 percent level.

“Even with a parcel tax, cuts will still need to happen, unless the state increases its funding,” said ESD Superintendent Tom Andrade. “However, the state is projecting its own $7 billion budget deficit in 2005-2006.” 

In addition to declining state funding, Andrade attributes several reoccurring factors that continue to deepen the deficit. This includes automatic salary adjustments, rising medical insurance costs, an under-funded class size reduction program and an under-funded special education program.

Andrade reminds the community that, “Evergreen’s previously approved bonds were spent as promised, proving that this district can be trusted to use parcel tax funds wisely.”

ESUHSD
The East Side Union High School District is one of California’s largest high school districts (grades 9–12), serving about 24,000 students. From the Berryessa area in northeast San Jose to the Santa Teresa area in southeast San Jose, it encompasses about 180 square miles.

The district operates 11 comprehensive high schools, five alternative schools and one continuation high school. The district also administers an Adult Education Program that serves more than 26,000 adults.

ESUHSD will ask voters to consider an annual $50 assessment per parcel of land for six years, or roughly $4 a month effective July 2005. This would bring about $8 million of funding into the district per year.

All school districts in California are struggling with declining state funding and the challenge of funding the cost of serving special education students. The ESUHSD’s salary increases have also grown faster than a proportional increase in new revenues, and the district cannot keep up with the escalating costs of employee benefits without cutting services.

If the parcel tax passes, the funding will be targeted for three specific areas in the ESUHSD:
- Literacy
- Math, science and technology
- Safety

“If you have good schools that are performing well, and the technology is running well, and students feel safe—if you have success in all of those areas, your property values will increase,” said ESUHSD Chief Operations Officer Alan Garofalo. “It’s money in the bank for property owners to vote ‘Yes’ for the parcel tax.”

Garofalo said the district is in the process of putting together a committee to help pass the parcel tax. The ESUHSD is looking for active community members willing to volunteer their time, and since no district funds can be used to promote the parcel tax, donations from businesses and individuals will also be gladly accepted.

If you are interested in serving on a committee, contact Jim deDiego at (408) 347-5040 or e-mail him at deDiegoJ2@ esuhsd.org.