Community Corner

Should It Be Easier To Pass School Parcel Taxes in Walnut Creek?

Some lawmakers in Sacramento want to lower the threshold for approval to 55 percent.

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Since 1983 there have been 13 parcel tax elections for school districts in Walnut Creek and nine have passed [See tables below].

But statewide only one in 10 California school districts have a parcel tax in place, and more than 50 percent of those districts are in the Bay Area. That was just one of the findings in a report EdSource announced Wednesday looking at almost 30 years of parcel tax data.

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.

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Here are some of the more interesting conclusions from the EdSource 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? 

Find out what's happening in Walnut Creekfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

What do you think? Would you support a plan to lower the voting threshold to 55 percent?

Walnut Creek Parcel Taxes, 1983-2012 District Tax Purpose Percent Approved Election Date Walnut Creek Elementary $60/parcel for 8 yrs Maintain & improve program 65.5 (failed) 4/1/1992 Walnut Creek Elementary $60/parcel for 6 yrs Improve basic program 65.3 (failed) 3/1/1993 Walnut Creek Elementary $41/parcel-8yrs CSR; program 66.9 3/1/2001 Walnut Creek Elementary $82/parcel - 6 years Teachers, CSR, technology, and libraries 71.16 3/1/2005 Walnut Creek Elementary $82/parcel Stable funding, small class size, technology, libraries, teachers. 75.7 11/1/2009

 

Acalanes Union High School District Parcel Taxes, 1983-2012

District Tax Purpose Percent Approved Election Date Acalanes Union HSD $42/parcel for 10 yrs Maintain program 73.2 6/1/1991 Acalanes Union HSD $20/parcel for 6 yrs Maintain library; small classes; tech 73.6 6/1/1995 Acalanes Union HSD $111/parcel Provide access to 7 period day for all students; increase access to AP classes; technology 63 (failed) 4/1/2000 Acalanes Union HSD $85/parcel-6yrs Maintain program;quality teaching. 74.2 3/1/2001 Acalanes Union HSD $189/parcel - 6 years Strengthen/improve curricula & programs 75.02 3/1/2005 Acalanes Union HSD $189/parcel Provide stable funding, protect science, math, arts, music, foreign language, libraries. 74.5 11/1/2009 Acalanes Union HSD $112/parcel for 5 years To avoid the severe loss of science, foreign language, English, social studies, the arts, and mathematics classes due to continuing cuts in the state's budget. 68.5

5/1/2010

 

 

Mount Diablo USD Parcel Taxes, 1983-2012 Mount Diablo USD $99/parcel for 5 yrs Protect from budget cuts; attract and retain teachers; maintain college and work force preparation programs; enhance classroom technology 59.5 (failed) 5/1/2009

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