In 2017, when consumer confidence was strong, San Geronimo Valley residents approved a special tax to support local schools by a comfortable margin. This year, with concerns about tariffs and inflation running high, the prospect of renewing the tax appears less certain. Nevertheless, Kathleen Graham, the Lagunitas School District superintendent, remains hopeful that voters will come through. “It’s critical to our program,” she said. “I’ll start sleeping after it passes.” Measure A, an $850 per parcel tax, provides more than 20 percent of the district’s budget. It would extend the tax for nine years and include a 4 percent annual cost-of-living adjustment. The tax will come before voters on Jan. 27, marking the fourth time they have been asked to approve it. The measure requires a two-thirds vote for approval; in 2017, it received 72 percent. Ms. Graham remains hopeful that it will pass again, despite the economic climate. “People are getting squeezed right now,” she said. “I think they might be looking at it with a slightly different set of eyes than they looked at it eight years ago. You never know for sure, but we are cautiously optimistic.” Measure A supporters are seeking a smaller cost-of-living increase than they did in 2017, when the annual increase was 6.5 percent. Residential homeowners age 65 and over can seek an exemption from the tax even if they vote in favor of it. The money pays for teacher salaries, classroom instructional aides, school libraries and other programs that directly support students.