MALIBU CITY HALL Santa Monica and Malibu residents can expect to see a ballot measure next year asking that they continue to open their wallets to support the public schools.
That was how Rochelle Fanali prefaced her status report on the activities of an ad hoc group that is examining the feasibility of placing a parcel tax renewal on one of the three statewide elections next year.
“One thing is very clear — we will most certainly be recommending renewing the critical funding by Measures S and Y,” Fanali said Thursday during the Board of Education meeting in Malibu.
Fanali, along with Colleen O’Beirne Brydon, is the co-chairwoman of the Parcel Tax Renewal Feasibility Committee, an ad hoc group of residents, parents, city officials and experts that are exploring different options to continue two major funding sources in Measure S and Y.
Measure S passed in June 2003 and assesses a flat rate of $225 per parcel in the school district every year. The measure is set to expire in 2009. Measure Y passed in November 2000, assessing residents a tax of $98 per parcel. That assessment has since grown as the tax is adjusted annually in accordance to the Consumer Price Index. Measure Y is set to expire in 2011.
The measures account for approximately $10 million in the 2007-08 budget.
SPLITTING THE WORKLOAD The advisory committee of roughly 20 members has met three times since its formation in early August and has since split into four sub-groups, each specializing in a factor that is believed to play a role on the measures’ survivability next year.
One subcommittee is determining in which of the three elections next year the measure would hold the best odds of winning.
The three elections are scheduled for February, June and November 2008, the last being a presidential election. The subcommittee is being headed by Denny Zane, a long-time political consultant and head of the Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights group.
The group is studying the pros and cons of each election, whether there will be other education-related funding measures on the ballot, examining the makeup of the anticipated electorate in each election, finding which would draw the most pro-education voters.
The second subcommittee is studying the legality of combining the two measures. Each comes with its set of complicated characteristics — Measure Y includes an annual adjustment, but does not have a senior exemption. Measure S does include a senior exemption, but is not affected by the Consumer Price Index.
The committee, headed by attorney Gleam Davis, will try to find a way to compromise the two measures.
Another subcommittee, headed by Fanali, is conducting a public opinion research study whose results are expected on Oct. 15. The study is looking at the general public’s understanding of the parcel taxes and residents’ level of support for the schools and whether they would be willing to continue that financial support. The study is being done on two focus groups. A report on the study is expected to take place at a school board meeting in the coming weeks.
Financial Oversight Committee Chairman Paul Silvern is heading the fourth subcommittee, which crunches the numbers when it comes to the parcel taxes, assessing the financial implications of passing one of the two measures or of combining them.
“It’s a little difficult to project the financial implications … each of the two measures have slightly different parameters,” Silvern said.
PUTTING A FACE TO FINANCIAL LOSS The loss of funding from two parcel taxes could be devastating in terms of jobs security for many district employees — a loss in teaching positions, physical education instructors and music instructors, Fanali said in requesting district officials to provide some specifics as to which programs and types of personnel would be cut if the measures are not renewed.
“People do not know where the funds go,” she said.
School board member Maria Leon- Vazquez added that it would be important to provide that information for the new parents that have come into the district since the two parcel taxes passed in the earlier part of the decade.
“We have to give the historic perspective,” she said.
Fanali added that there is very little information available to parents as to the needs of the district, many people just generally thinking the school districts don’t have enough money.
“We think that sentiment goes across our own core group of parent volunteers and we need to make sure we educate them what’s really at stake,” Fanali said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 6, 2007. Read the original PDF.