Parcel Tax Later, Cuts Sooner At Dour School Board Meet

Good but not good enough, bad and getting worse.

Those two themes animated the school board meeting Tuesday night as officials studied voter sentiment about a parcel tax and reviewed the need for another $2.54 million in funding cuts.

The meeting held at City Hall was packed. Parents, children, teachers, even principals lined the walls and spilled out of the chambers.

School board president Morgan Mack-Rose had to admonish audience members to come in and sit down on the carpet at one point because blocking the doors created a safety hazard.

Board members were briefed about a telephone poll of 402 likely San Leandro voters. The survey was designed to gauge voter sentiment toward a parcel tax increase that would raise about $3 million for K-12 schools.

Such a measure would require a two-thirds margin to pass. Consultant Brad Senden told board members that about 63 percent of those surveyed supported the idea of parcel tax in principle. Support dropped to about 59 percent when pollsters got specific about who would have to pay how much.

The margin of error was about 4.5 percent either way.

"We don't think it's feasible right now to place a tax upon the ballot," Senden said, disappointing board members who had hoped to put the question before voters in the June primary.

Mayor Stephen Cassidy spoke briefly after Senden.

"The rules of California are stacked against the children," Cassidy said, characterizing the two-thirds requirement as "the tyranny of the minority."

He urged school board members to put the parcel tax on the November ballot and to use the time between now and then to get the extra support needed.

"As go our schools so go our city," he said.

All seven school board members agreed. "I think we can do it in November," Mack-Rose said.

Cuts, Cuts and More Cuts

 Tuesday's meeting also had to deal with budget issues. School district officials have already eliminated 58 positions in recent years by making classes larger. And they recently approved about 20 similar reductions to save an additional $1.43 million.

Tuesday night they had to plan for an even grimmer scenario.

If Governor Jerry Brown's proposed tax increases don't pass in November, district officials expect to lose an additional $2.54 million in funding for the 2012-2013 school year.

In order to balance their next year's budget, school board members have to have a contingency plan in place soon.

Items on the potential chopping block Tuesday night included high school and middle school sports, what's left of the district's music program, some high school and middle school library positions, as well as music, art and physical education specialists for first through third graders.

District officials also have some one-time funds they can use to help close that possible $2.54 million shortfall.

But as Mack-Rose said, after losing about 13 percent of district funding since 2007 "every single dollar hurts."

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