Politics & Government
Should It Be Easier To Pass School Parcel Taxes in El Cerrito?
Since 1983 WCCUSD has put nine parcel taxes on the ballot. Three have passed.
Despite passing Measure G last year, West Contra Costa Unified School District has a losing record when it come to parcel taxes. Since 1983, the district has put nine parcel taxes on the ballot and three have passed. Only John Swett Unified, which has struck out six times has a worse record than WCCUSD in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
With neighbors like Albany (6 out of 6 passed) and Berkeley (8 out of 8 passed), residents of El Cerrito can be forgiven for overestimating the prevalence and popularity of parcel taxes. But WCCUSD is unusual for having approved a parcel tax at all.
Statewide only one in 10 California school districts have a parcel tax in place. That was just one of the findings in a report Ed Source announced Wednesday looking at almost 30 years of parcel tax data.
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The report comes as a Democratic supermajority in Sacramento eyes amending the state constitution to make it easier for school districts to pass parcel taxes. California’s voters would still have to approve an amendment lowering the passage threshold from two-thirds to 55 percent, but recent polls show that voters are in favor of giving schools more money and more control over how to spend it.
If the threshold for passing had been 55 percent, WCCUSD would have passed seven parcel taxes instead of three.
Find out what's happening in El Cerritowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Here are some of the more interesting conclusions from the Ed Source report:
- Since 1983, there have been 608 parcel tax elections in California. While roughly half passed with a two-thirds majority, 87 percent would have passed if the bar had been set at 55 percent.
- Richer districts are more likely to pass a parcel tax.
- Districts with parcel taxes that received 55 percent of the vote, but still failed, were more likely to have higher numbers of poor students, black students and Latino students.
The EdSource report asks if lowering the threshold to 55 percent would augment Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to provide more money to poor students in the state's public schools, or would it only make it easier for more affluent districts to create new funding sources?
What do you think? Would you support a plan to lower the passing threshold to 55 percent?
District Tax Purpose Approval Rate Election Date West Contra Cost Unified 7.2 cents/sq. ft. To maintain quality education with local funding 75.02 11/6/2012 West Contra Costa Unified $125/parcel for 4 yrs Program 34.8 (failed) 7/1/1988 West Contra Costa Unified $60/parcel for 4 yrs Maintain & improve program 58.2 (failed) 4/1/1992 West Contra Costa Unified $.068/sq ft building area/parcel Classize;instructional materials; staff; program; maintenance 62.7 (failed) 3/1/2004 West Contra Costa Unified $.072/sq ft/parcel-6 yrs Maintain CSR; textbooks & materials; maintain/recruit staff; enhance curriculum 70.6 6/1/2004 West Contra Costa Unified $0.11 per sq. ft. of building area on parcel, $11/parcel for vacant parcels. Senior citizen exemption by application. Maintain class sizes, purchase textbooks/materials, attract and retain teachers, maintain libraries, counselors, after school programs, custodians, school safety programs. 54.4 (failed) 8/1/2007 West Contra Costa Unified $.072 per sq. ft. of total bldg area or $7.20 per vacant parcel - 5 years Reading, writing, math, science programs, teachers, counselors, libraries, computer training and athletic programs, class sizes. 79.64 11/1/2008 West Contra Costa Unified 7.2 cents per sq. ft. building area or $7.20 per vacant parcel - 5 years Provide local funding the State cannot take away, and preserve quality education by: providing manageable class sizes to improve core academics like math, science, reading/ writing, restoring arts/ music programs, attracting/ retaining quality teachers, improving campus safety/ cleanliness, preparing students for college and workforce 59.36 (failed) 11/1/2010 West Contra Costa Unified Extend and increase current parcel tax for three years from 7.2 cents/sq foot to 10.2 cents/sq foot. Preserve quality education including: reading, writing, math, science; maintaining reduced class sizes for the youngest children; retaining quality teachers; supporting libraries, improving campus safety; preparing students for college/workforce. 65.52 (failed) 6/1/2012Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
