School Board to Look Into Feasibility of Parcel Tax

The Pleasanton Unified School District is close to solving its $8 million deficit and establishing its budget for the 2010-11 school year, but officials say cuts to education are far from over and a long-term plan is necessary.

As a result, the school board is looking into an option that was unsuccessful in gaining approval in the past – establishing a parcel tax.

The board is slated to discuss how to determine feasibility of a parcel tax when it meets 7 p.m. at 4665 Bernal Ave. The board will discuss and possibly vote on whether to get a quote for a parcel tax survey and consultation.

The initial recommendation for a parcel tax stemmed from the Revenue Enhancement Committee, a subcommittee of the district's Budget Advisory Committee. Details of how much the parcel tax would be and what it would be allocated toward is far from being established, committee members said.

Barbara Kirk, who represented the committee and announced the recommendation to the board May 10, said a parcel tax would provide a steadier funding source for the school district for more than just one year.

"A parcel tax is really the only way a local district can raise money for itself," said Kirk, who added that many school districts have passed parcel taxes.

"Pleasanton is not unique or alone in this. There is this perception that the board has squandered away our money, but at the end of the day, we really are at the mercy of the state budget," Kirk said.

Pleasanton Unified was unsuccessful in passing a parcel tax in June 2009, with 62.7 percent of voters supporting the parcel tax and 37.3 percent opposing it. It needed two-thirds approval to pass. Measure G called for an annual $233 parcel tax for four years.

Board members Chris Grant and Pat Kernan said gathering input and insight from all members of the Pleasanton community through a survey will be critical in pursuing a parcel tax.

"Now is the right time to ask the community to support the school district that supports their children and property values through a small parcel tax," Grant said.

But Grant a survey is needed to determine the "pulse from the Pleasanton community and the voting population about what their priorities are."

Kernan said challenges are sure to arise but that transparency and informing the community may help the district's efforts of establishing a parcel tax.

"The community has always been supportive of our schools," Kernan said. "The community has just been phenomenal with the support. … We're much more fortunate than other districts because of our community, with or without a parcel tax."

What programs a parcel tax would help maintain are far from being established, but district officials said parents, teachers, administrators and staff met in community forums and discussed which items were most critical.

Director of Fiscal Services Suzy Chan said stakeholders named as top priorities: class-size reductions, counseling and at-risk counseling at the elementary, middle and high schools along with keeping reading specialists and intervention programs in place.

Pleasanton Unified has made many cuts to its budget for the upcoming school year. About $5 million of its $8 million shortfall will be compensated with a total of 16 furlough days, eight being from the teacher's union and eight from classified employees.

The school board also finalized layoffs for the upcoming school year at its last board meeting, and the district-wide fundraising campaign asking for parent donatations is ongoing. Both contribute to closing the remaining $3 million deficit for the upcoming school year.

As of May 21, a total of $363,0111 has been raised by the district-wide campaign, according to district spokesperson Myla Grasso.

Details of the proposed 2010-11 school year budget will also be presented to the board at Tuesday's meeting.