Should School Parcel Tax Elections Be Easier to Pass?

The Public Policy Institute of California looked at 17 years of parcel tax data from across California and found that a 55 percent passing threshold would have boosted the success rate for all parcel tax elections from 59 percent to 89 percent. However, the elections garnering at least 55 percent approval were mostly in wealthy and white communities.

"It is hard to say that lowering the vote threshold for parcel tax passage would expand their reach into new areas of the state or to more disadvantaged students,” said Eric McGhee, one of the report’s authors. "This change would likely make it easier for more of the same kind of districts to pass parcel taxes and for districts that already have them to pass more.”

Fremont has passed one school parcel tax in recent years: Measure K in 2010. The five-year $53 per parcel tax helps the district maintain core programs, support classroom technology, keep libraries open and retain teachers. 

See which East Bay school districts receive the most money per student from parcel taxes in the chart above.