CALIFORNIANS FOR IMPROVED SCHOOL FUNDING

2010/2011 is shaping up to be another bad year for the California state budget. That likely means more cuts to education spending, on top of the ones we've suffered through over the last few years.

It would be nice to have an alternative, or at least a supplement, to Sacramento's funding. Such an option does exist - governing boards can ask their communities to approve special education taxes, commonly known as parcel taxes. These increase district revenue by assessing a flat dollar fee on each parcel of property within the district. While not a complete solution to Sacramento-created fiscal woes, they are a welcome source of money for districts. Parcel taxes also strengthen the ties between a community and its schools by giving property owners a direct stake in their schools.


Unfortunately, parcel taxes are difficult to get approved, requiring a 2/3 hypermajority to go into effect. While some districts are able to meet that threshold, many are not. Many more do not even try, since the bar is so high, and putting a proposal before voters requires a major commitment of volunteer time and financial support from community members.

Californians for Improved School Funding (www.improvedschoolfunding.com), a grassroots organization of public education advocates, is trying to create a new way to approve parcel taxes. They are qualifying a ballot initiative which would let districts get approval with a 55% supermajority, subject to certain conditions being met. Those include advance disclosure of how money will be spent, independent audits of how it is actually spent, and oversight by a citizens' advisory committee. If you're familiar with what Proposition 39 did for school construction financing, the Local Control of Local Classrooms Funding Act would do essentially the same thing for parcel taxes: give voters assurances their money will be spent wisely in exchange for a lower approval threshold.

Funds raised under the Act can be used for any lawful purpose, with one exception: no monies can be spent on administrator salaries. Polling consistently shows that voters are not supportive of higher taxes to pay administrator salaries. Incorporating that prohibition makes the Act more likely to be approved by voters.

The Act also contains other provisions designed to broaden its appeal. For example, it forbids the State from taking any funds raised under the Act, either directly or through offsets in State education funding formulas. Local funds raised under the Act will always be in addition to State-provided funding.

Other provisions require governing boards to offer senior citizens an "opt out" from paying a tax, and put a $250 per parcel cap, adjusted for inflation, on the per parcel dollar amount placed before voters in any one election. The collective experience of districts with successful passing parcel tax campaigns shows how important offering a senior exemption is, and polling done by Californians for Improved School Funding bears that out. That same research also shows the importance of having a limit on how fast taxes can be raised.

Nothing in the Act prevents a district from putting a traditional parcel tax before its voters. The Act simply adds a new route to approval, one with a lower threshold in exchange for meeting its requirements.

To qualify for the ballot, Californians for Improved School Funding must collect at least 700,000 signatures from registered voters by May, 2010. If qualified, the Act would go before voters in November, 2010. A simple majority of votes cast can approve the Act, and it would become law immediately. Districts would be able to take advantage of it beginning in early 2011.

Collecting those signatures is the next key step. It is, and will continue to be, a challenge. But the campaign team believes it can be done if everyone pulls together and works to make it happen. In fact, because Californians for Improved School Funding is a grassroots organization, having educational leaders and advocates working together to get the Act qualified and approved is a necessity.


To that end, they are asking each of you to:

Sign the petition. This can be done through the campaign website, www.improvedschoolfunding.com, by clicking the Sign Petition button in the upper right hand corner of any page. Select the number of signatures you want to collect (from 1 to 102), and download a PDF you can print out, fill out, and mail back to the campaign.

Endorse the initiative as an individual. This can be done by going to the campaign website and clicking the Endorse button in the upper right hand corner of any page.
Have your governing board or organization adopt a resolution endorsing the initiative, and record that endorsement on the site using the same process as for your individual endorsement. A sample resolution is available on the website. It's available via the Resources link in the right-hand margin of any page.

Spread the word. Let your colleagues, community leaders, education supporters and constituents know about the Act, and how important its passage is. Urge them to visit the campaign website, sign the petition, and get involved.

Join the campaign. Californians for Improved School Funding is looking for individuals who want to make the Act a reality. You can join the campaign by clicking the Join button in the upper right hand corner of any page in the site.
Lastly, Californians for Improved School Funding asks you to support the campaign financially, and encourage others to do the same.

The Act has a growing number of supporters - including, most recently, the California State Parent Teacher Association - but it is short of funds. You can make an online donation through the website by clicking the Donate button in the upper right corner of any page. Or, you can mail a check to:

Californians for Improved School Funding
751 Laurel Street #219
San Carlos, CA 94070-3113

The campaign committee also asks that if you know of a person or organization in your community potentially interested in taking a leadership role in funding the campaign, to please email them at campaign@improvedschoolfunding.com.

No single initiative, including the Act, can solve all the problems facing California's public schools. But the Act can help, by giving communities a way to strengthen their financial support of local schools. In times like these, when so many districts wonder how to continue to offer even a basic education, that's important, and worth doing.

The Act is endorsed by a growing number of people and organizations, including:

Delaine Eastin, former California Superintendent of Public Instruction

Ellen Corbett, State Senator

Joe Simitian, State Senator

California State Parent Teacher Association

Kenneth Hall, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, School Services of California

Jean Holbrook, County Superintendent of Schools, San Mateo County

Julian Crocker, County Superintendent of Schools, San Luis Obispo County

Joseph Ovick, County Superintendent of Schools, Contra Costa County

Sheila Jordan, Superintendent, Alameda County Office of Education

Dr. Carl Wong, County Superintendent of Schools, Sonoma County

Don Iglesias, Superintendent, San Jose Unified School District

Jim Franco, Superintendent, Tracy Joint Unified School District

Pat Gemma, Superintendent, Sequoia Union High School District

Barbara Wilson, Superintendent, Pittsburg Unified School District

Patricia Wool, Superintendent, Walnut Creek School District

San Mateo County School Boards Association

Oakley Union School District

San Jose Unified School District

Cabrillo Unified School District

Visit www.improvedschoolfunding.com/endorsements.aspx for a complete up-to-date list.

Californians for Improved School Funding is registered with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, ID# 1319510. For further information, or to read the official title and summary of the Act as well as its full text, please visit the campaign website at www.improvedschoolfunding.com. You can send questions to campaign@improvedschoolfunding.com.