DISTRICT INFORMATION Parcel Tax 2011 (Measure A)
District Financials
Parcel Tax 2011 (Measure A)
On March 8, 2011 Alameda voters approved Measure A with 68.01% voting yes. Read full press release. This new parcel tax will generate approximately $12 million per year for seven years. It has replaced the former Measure A (passed in 2005) and Measure H (passed in 2008). Read below for details on the establishment of Measure A.
Establishment of the Measure A Oversight Committee
On September 27 the Board of Education approved the appointment of the 11-member Measure A Oversight Committee that will annually review the District’s compliance with the terms of Measure A.
During the three weeks that applications to serve on the committee were accepted, 27 people applied for the Oversight Committee. The following well-qualified eleven (11) individuals, representing diverse interests from across Alameda, will serve on the Oversight Committee for a one year term for 2011-2012: Anne DeBardeleben, Craig Elliott, David Hart, Wendy Horikoshi, Barbara Kahn, Steve Mack, Lorrie Murray, Michael Robles-Wong, Dick Rudloff, Courtney Shepler and Seamus Wilmot. Read full press release.
The Oversight Committee will meet several times over the course of the year to review AUSD’s compliance with the terms of Measure A. The Committee will hold its first meeting on October 27. All meetings will be open to the public and will comply with open meeting laws (the Brown Act). Minutes, agendas and any other relevant communications and information will be posted on AUSD’s website at least 72 hours prior to each meeting. Click here for more information including agendas, minutes and documents.
Frequently Asked Questions about Measure A
Following are answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the implementation of Measure A. We hope these FAQs will make transparent the policies and procedures AUSD will follow for the implementation of Measure A. The FAQs also include links to new forms for requesting exemptions from the tax and for appealing for a correction of tax bills.
We’ll continue to revise these FAQ’s throughout the year as questions or concerns arise.
AUSD’s Board Policy 3221 (Parcel Tax Funds) and Administrative Regulation 3221 (Parcel Tax Funds) set forth in detail the processes and procedures AUSD will use to implement Measure A.
Click to read the full text of the B.P. 3221 and the full text of the A.R. 3221.
Property owners may check their Measure A tax assessments by using AUSD's "address look up tool" and typing in their address.
The answers to the following FAQ’s are below:
How will the revenues generated by Measure A be spent?
How is my tax assessment under Measure A calculated?
How can I check what my tax assessment will be under Measure A?
How long should I expect an appeal or request for a refund to take?
How will the revenues generated by Measure A be spent?
Revenues raised by Measure A are authorized to be used only for those educational programs and activities set forth in the eleven specific categories set forth in Measure A itself, in accordance with priorities annually established by the Board and to the extent of available funds.
For 2011-12, the Board made the following allocations to the eleven specific categories established by Measure A: (1) Maintaining Small Class Sizes – 13-14%, (2) Maintaining High Quality Neighborhood Elementary Schools – 7-8% , (3) Secondary School Choice Initiative and AP Courses – 7-8%, (4) Programs to Close the Achievement Gap – 15-16%, (5) High School Athletics Programs – 4%, (6) Enrichment Programs – 9-10% , (7) Attract and Retain Excellent Teachers – 25-26%, (8) Counseling and Student Support Services – 6% (9) Alameda Charter Schools – 3-4%, (10) Technology – 5% and (11) Adult Education – 4%.
The Measure A Oversight Committee will meet several times over the course of the year to review AUSD’s compliance with the terms of Measure A.
In addition, the text of Measure A requires that 1.5-2% of its total revenues be set aside for “expenses to administer the District’s parcel tax, and costs to implement accountability provisions to ensure fiscal transparency through public information, translation services for the District families and support of the Oversight Committee.” The Board set aside 1.5% of Measure A revenues for these purposes for 2011/12. The revenues available for the eleven specific categories established by Measure A are calculated after the 1.5% is set aside for these accountability and transparency purposes.
How is my tax assessment under Measure A calculated?
Measure A assesses all non-exempt parcels with buildings at a rate of $0.32 per building square foot, up to a maximum of $7999. It assesses all non-exempt parcels without buildings $299.
How can I check what my tax assessment will be under Measure A?
Property owners may check their Measure A tax assessments by using AUSD’s “address look up tool” and typing in their address.
Anyone interested in checking the building square footage used to calculate his or her assessment under Measure A need only divide the tax assessment as shown in the look up tool by .32. For example, if the tax assessment shown is $475, the building square footage that was used to determine the assessment was 475/.32 = 1,484 building square feet.
Please note that taxable private possessory interests on public property will be assessed under Measure A through a separate manual billing process. We have listed in the look up tool those possessory interests subject to assessment under Measure A and will add the specific amounts of those assessments in coming weeks as the manual billing of those interests occurs.
What should I do if I disagree with the building square footage that was used to calculate my tax assessment under Measure A?
Measure A states that in determining the building square footage of Taxable Real Property, AUSD shall refer to the data reported by the County Office of Assessor, except in cases of demonstrable error.
Any person seeking to appeal the building square footage used to determine his or her assessment under Measure A must first complete and file a Property Characteristic Change Form at the County Office of Assessor. Click to download the Property Characteristic Change Form, from the Administrative Assistant to the General Counsel & Senior Program Manager at 2200 Central Ave, Alameda, CA 94501 and from the County Office of Assessor.
If the Assessor grants the requested change, the person must then submit a copy of the Property Characteristic Change Form, including evidence confirming the Assessor’s approval of the requested change, and a Measure A Parcel Tax Correction Application to AUSD’s Parcel Tax Administrator at the following address: Parcel Tax Administrator, Attn: AUSD Measure A Appeal, 4745 Mangels Blvd, Fairfield, CA 94534.
Click to download the Measure A Parcel Tax Correction Application from the Administrative Assistant to the General Counsel & Senior Program Manager at 2200 Central Ave, Alameda, CA 94501. Measure A Parcel Tax Correction Applications may also be requested by phone by calling AUSD’s Parcel Tax Administrator at (800) 273-5167.
It is important to note that the filing of a Property Characteristic Change Form does not relieve any person of the responsibility to pay the tax assessment. In order to avoid default and other negative consequences that may ensue for failure to pay this and any other tax assessments, all taxpayers should pay the full assessed amount while their request is being processed.
What should I do if I disagree with my tax assessment under Measure A for a reason other than the building square footage used to calculate the tax?
Any person seeking a correction to the Measure A assessment on their property tax bill for any reason other than building square footage used to calculate the tax must submit a Measure A Parcel Tax Correction Application to AUSD’s Parcel Tax Administrator at the following address: Parcel Tax Administrator, Attn: AUSD Measure A Appeal, 4745 Mangels Blvd, Fairfield, CA 94534.
Click to download the Measure A Parcel Tax Correction Application from the Administrative Assistant to the General Counsel & Senior Program Manager at 2200 Central Ave, Alameda, CA 94501. Measure A Parcel Tax Correction Applications may also be requested by phone by calling AUSD’s Parcel Tax Administrator at (800) 273-5167.
Are senior citizens and people receiving SSI exempt from Measure A, as they have been for previous school parcel taxes in Alameda?
Yes. Individuals who have already received exemptions under the previous school parcel taxes, Measure H and the old Measure A, will continue to receive those exemptions and do not need to re-apply for an exemption to the new Measure A. If a senior or SSI recipient would like to confirm that his or her exemption is still in place, he or she may check AUSD’s “address look up tool” by typing in his or her address in.
Any person who is 65 years of age or older and who owns and occupies a parcel of Taxable Real Property as his/her principal place of residence, may apply for an exemption from the tax for that parcel. Any person who receives Supplemental Social Security Income and who owns and occupies a parcel of Taxable Real Property as his/her principal place of residence, may apply for an exemption from the tax for that parcel.
The “Senior” Exemption Request Form and “SSI” Exemption Request Form are available for 2012/13 (click to down the 2012/13 "Senior" Exemption or "SSI" Exemption forms) as well as from the Administrative Assistant to the General Counsel & Senior Program Manager at 2200 Central Ave, Alameda, CA 94501. Applications may also be requested by phone by calling AUSD’s Parcel Tax Administrator at (800) 273-5167.
A request for an exemption should be submitted to AUSD’s Parcel Tax Administrator at the following address: Parcel Tax Administrator, Attn: AUSD Exemption, 4745 Mangels Blvd, Fairfield, CA 94534.
Applications for Senior Citizen Exemptions or SSI Exemptions must be submitted before 4:30 pm on June 30 of the fiscal year immediately prior to the fiscal year for which the applicant is seeking an exemption. Applicants for exemptions are advised strongly to keep a copy of their application.
It is important to note that the filing of a request for an exemption does not relieve any person of the responsibility to pay the tax assessment. In order to avoid default and other negative consequences that may ensue for failure to pay this and any other tax assessments, all taxpayers should pay the full assessed amount while a request for an exemption is being processed.
How long should I expect an appeal or request for a refund to take?
The District and its parcel tax administrator will make every reasonable effort to respond promptly to any appeal and to issue any refund that is due. Except in extraordinary circumstances, District staff will respond no later than 60 days after an appeal or request for refund is submitted to AUSD’s Parcel Tax Administrator. Following the District’s response, the property owner may appeal District staff’s response to the Superintendent within 21 days of receiving staff’s response. The Superintendent will issue a final and binding decision on the appeal or refund within 30 days of receiving the appeal.
I've heard some people suggesting Measure A is not supporting teachers. How does Measure A support teachers?
Over 74% of Measure A funds are devoted to teachers. Over $3 million in revenue from Measure A is budgeted directly for teacher salaries – this amount is in lieu of a reduction in salaries, or a salary roll back, which would have been necessary had Measure A not passed. In addition, over $1 million in funds go directly toward the restoration of 5 instructional days for teachers – days that would have been eliminated for teachers and students if Measure A had not passed. Also, more than $4 million is allocated to fund teacher positions that would have been cut without Measure A: K-3 and AP teachers; elementary music, PE and media center teachers; secondary fine arts teachers; and high school counselors. Click here to view the many ways Measure A provides funding directly to teachers
Teaching children is the core function of a school district and our excellent teachers and staff are the primary reason we have such successful schools. For this reason, it is no surprise that the vast majority of funds raised by Measure A goes directly to teachers. However, Measure A was never intended to provide teachers a bonus or salary increase.
Background Information on the Master Plan and "Plan B (no parcel tax) Scenario"
For a look back at the process which led up to the Board’s adoption of the five-year Master Plan in February 2010, please visit the Master Plan archive.
For a look back at the Plan B (No Parcel Tax)/Scenario B, which was part of the process that led up to Measure A, please visit the School Closure/Scenario B archive.
Please be advised that much of the information in the documents in the archives from the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years is now out of date and has been superseded by subsequent events. On the one hand, some of what is discussed in the documents as plans is now being implemented thanks to the passage of Measure A in March 2011. On the other hand, some of what is discussed (e.g., consideration of a “Plan B” scenario without a parcel tax) reflects contingency planning for a contingency that did not occur, also thanks to the passage of Measure A. We keep these documents here as helpful background for those interested in the community engagement and extensive planning work done in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. But we also caution that the information here is out of date so that those looking for current information should not rely on these archived materials.