A parcel tax to benefit all county schools will not appear on
this November
’s ballot.
A parcel tax to benefit all county schools will not appear on this November’s ballot.
The state Leigislature did not give the two-thirds support needed to allow either the county Board of Supervisors or eduction office to place the first-ever countywide schools tax on the ballot.
The proposed $195 parcel tax would have targeted reading improvements and funded teacher stipends and districts with low-performing students.
As it is today, only individual districts may impose such a parcel tax. Before the tax – the first time in California a countywide tax for school districts would have been attempted – could be placed on the November ballot, legislators needed to pass a bill allowing a county agency to place the ballot measure.
The Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, an organization of education, business and government leaders, first proposed the county parcel tax to improve public education last year, to mixed support. In recent polls, 70 percent of voters questioned supported the tax.
County supervisors last month voted to support the bill, although Supervisor Don Gage, who represents South Valley, said he was not convinced he would support the measure.
