Superintendent Letter December 2010

I am writing to thank all who participated this fall in our discussions with the community about how Alameda can work together to overcome the fiscal crisis facing our schools.

As you may know, one result of the community conversation this fall is that on November 30, the Alameda Unified School District’s Board of Education voted unanimously to place a new replacement parcel tax Measure on the ballot for an election on March 8, 2011.

The Measure allocates specific amounts of funding for specific programs that are the most highly valued by the Alameda community. The vote by the board follows months of outreach and feedback, including meetings with business groups, individuals and other community stakeholders as well as several public hearings and board meetings. By listening to all points of view, we have been able to propose a Measure that reflects Alameda’s core values of supporting our schools, supporting a strong business community and preserving our unique quality of life. We are hopeful that this new measure achieves the best possible compromise for all of Alameda.

The new parcel tax is designed to offset unprecedented cuts in state funding for education and to renew the investment in Alameda schools voters have made through past parcel taxes Measures A and H, both of which are scheduled to expire in 2012. The new measure would replace Measures A and H a year early and would last for a term of seven years.

Revenues from the new measure would only be permitted to be spent on specific purposes set forth in the measure. The measure defines specific percentage allocations of the funds for small class sizes, neighborhood elementary schools, enrichment programs, secondary school choice and AP courses, programs to close the achievement gap, high school athletic programs, attracting and retaining excellent teachers, adult education, technology, counseling and student support services and Alameda students in Alameda charter schools. The total revenue the new measure would raise is less than what would have been raised by Measure E, the parcel tax measure narrowly defeated last spring. As a result, the district will continue to restructure and to belt-tighten and to make additional cuts. At the same time, the new measure will raise sufficient revenues to protect those most critical programs listed that the community has identified as essential. The new measure includes strict accountability and oversight provisions and an annual independent audit to ensure that funds are only spent on the specified purposes and that the public is kept well informed on how the proceeds of the tax are spent.

The new tax would apply a uniform rate to residential and commercial properties, with all paying 32 cents on only the building square footage of property on a parcel (i.e., not on the square footage of the entire lot). The median 1,600 square foot home in Alameda would pay $512. 72% of Alameda residential parcels would be paying less than the $659 they would have paid under Measure E. No parcel will pay more than $7,999, with most paying far less than that maximum. Members of the business community asked for that maximum tax to be reduced from the $9500 it was under Measure E. Parcels without buildings would pay $299. As authorized by state law, seniors and recipients of SSI for disability will be exempt from the tax on their primary residences. Those exemptions will be renewed automatically every year.

Unlike the all mail election for Measure E, the March 8 special election will be in the traditional precinct format. As a result, voters can choose whether to vote by mail as absentee voters or to vote walk in to a polling place.

I am encouraged by the strong, positive responses I have heard since the Board’s unanimous vote and am hopeful that the District can secure the necessary funding to provide an excellent education for all children in Alameda.

In the event that the voters do not approve the new parcel tax, AUSD is still required to have a balanced budget. Accordingly, on November 30 the school board also adopted a three year budget with millions of dollars in cuts in order to show the County and State that AUSD will remain solvent and can achieve a balanced budget, even without any new parcel tax. School closures and consolidations are part of those many millions in cuts that we do not want to do but that would be required if the parcel tax is not passed.

At its December 14 meeting, the school board adopted a final plan for “Scenario B: No Parcel Tax” outlining those school closures and consolidations that would occur over the next two years if voters do not pass the new parcel tax on March 8, 2011. Our website at http://www.alameda.k12.ca.us/index.php/home/school-closures has the details of this scenario. We have no plan to enact “Scenario B” if the parcel tax is passed.

Thank you again for speaking up this fall and for your continued support of our schools.

We are looking forward to continuing to work together and move ahead in 2011.

Sincerely,

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Kirsten Vital
Superintendent of Schools