Point Reyes Light - October 18, 2001
Valley voters asked to renew parcel tax
By Patrik Jorgensen
Lagunitas School District officials warned last week that district programs could suffer serious consequences if a parcel tax up for renewal on the Nov. 6 election ballot isn’t endorsed by San Geronimo Valley voters.
Measure B will ask Valley residents if they will approve a $197 per-parcel annual tax for eight years starting in July 2002 to "secure and improve its arts, sciences, music, language, environmental, and technology programs." The tax, which would be raised by 5 percent yearly as a cost-of-living adjustment, would also be used to pay for "professional services for children in need, as well as safeguarding reduced class size," the measure states.
Jeff Lippstreau, school district business manager, said that the existing parcel tax accounts for some $336,000 – or roughly 14 percent – of the total money allocated each year to the district. The sum is "a significant portion of our revenue," he said,
noting that "every penny [except what the County charges to collect] goes to the district."
County official supports tax
Mary Jane Burke, superintendent of schools for Marin County, said that she believes the parcel tax is "absolutely essential" for Lagunitas School District to maintain its high standards of education.
The existing parcel tax was first approved 15 years ago and renewed in 1997, but with that tax set to expire, the district’s Parcel Tax Committee recommended that the tax be renewed for another eight years, committee member Andreas Wittenstein said. Supporters claim that the $197 annual tax is a relative bargain when compared to that of Ross School District, which at $525 has the highest parcel tax in the county.
"Our school has the least funding in Marin County," Wittenstein said.
According to Lippstreau’s calculations, approximately 75 percent of the district’s revenue is spent on salaries and benefits for teachers and other employees. Another four percent is earmarked as a "safety net," and can only be spent in an emergency situation. The remaining 20 percent is allocated for supplies, facility maintenance (including water, electricity, and heating bills), and safety protocol. If the roughly 14 percent that is derived from the parcel tax is taken away, that would leave an inadequate six percent of the budget for supplies and maintenance, Lippstreau said.
Pays teachers’ salaries
District Superintendent Mary Buttler concurred. She told The Light the district "will have to make cutbacks" if the tax isn’t renewed, noting that art, music, and foreign-language programs which are funded by the tax would be at risk of being cut out altogether.
The parcel tax, she added, pays for a student counselor, as well as specialists and equipment for science, technology, and physical-education classes. The most important loss, however, would be teachers, Buttler said. The tax supports the salaries of three teachers, who would all face losing their jobs if the revenue was lost.
County Supt. Burke said that individual districts have the autonomy to look at their budget and decide where to make cutbacks, and the county will not make decisions on a district’s payroll. However, she seemed confident that Measure B will pass. "This level of community support is unprecedented in California," she said.
LSD manager disagrees
Lippstreau said that while the tax revenue is essential, cutting teachers would not necessarily be the best path for the district if the tax is not approved. "The number of teachers you need corresponds with the number of students you have." Lippstreau explained that the district gets state contributions to keep class sizes down, and the district would no longer be eligible for the money if teachers were let go.
He added that the parcel tax is especially important to West Marin’s rural school districts – most of which experience fluctuating enrollment – because the state subsidizes schools based on the number of students enrolled. He said Lagunitas School District enrollment has declined each of the last four years, and he expects the trend to continue.
Declining enrollment
Lagunitas School District currently has an enrollment of 317 students, a decline from 362 students last year, Lippstreu said. At $380 per student, the district this year brought in $17,100 less than in 2000.
Buttler agreed, saying: "The need for a parcel tax will increase with decreasing enrollment."
Wittenstein said that over the past several months parcel tax committee members have been polling Valley residents by phone to gauge support for Measure B. He told The Light that respondents have "overwhelmingly been in favor," with a handful of people either undecided or opposed.