Los Gatos Voters On Track To Renew School District Parcel Tax

LOS GATOS, CA — Los Gatos residents were poised Tuesday night to renew Measure B, a parcel tax that would provide funding to the Los Gatos Union School District for the next eight years.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, 76 percent of the over 8,500 votes cast were in favor of the parcel tax, with 91 percent of ballots counted.

Measure B would renew an existing $290 parcel tax and add $45 per parcel with a 2 percent annual increase per year.

The measure must receive at least two-thirds of the vote to pass. The existing parcel tax is set to expire in June 2022 and cannot be renewed without an election.

Funds from Measure B would be used to retain teachers, protect core academic programs and expand programs and labs in science, technology, engineering, arts and math, according to the district.

The measure received support from several local officials, including Los Gatos Mayor Marico Sayoc, Vice Mayor Rob Rennie and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Mike Wasserman.

"Renewing Measure B is good for our kids and good for Los Gatos,” Wasserman said. “By investing in our schools, Los Gatos will continue to be a desirable place to live, work and raise a family.”

The additional tax per parcel would be used to offset the decline in value due to cost-of-living increases, according to the district.

The value of the parcel tax to district schools has decreased by over 30 percent over the last 20 years due to inflation, the district said. Meanwhile, the parcel tax hasn’t increased in that time.

If the measure is not extended, the school district could lose 15 percent of its teachers as a result of $2.7 million in cuts, according to the district.

The district has four elementary schools and one middle school.