3,941 / 69.9% Yes votes ...... 1,694 / 30.1% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote of this measure means:

you want to allow a special tax to be levied on property within the boundaries of the San Carlos School District in an amount of up to $98 per year, to be used to promote early reading; retain staff, teachers, programs, class sizes, and school library staff; teach reading, writing, math, art, music, foreign language and technology; and to maintain safety. It would also allow the appropriations (spending) limit to be raised.

A NO vote of this measure means:

you do not want to allow the special tax to be levied nor allow the appropriations limit to be raised.

By this measure, the Board of Trustees of the San Carlos School District proposes to levy a special tax for a period of eight years beginning July 1, 2003 and ending June 30, 2011. This tax shall be at a rate not to exceed $98 per year, adjusted annually by changes in the Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose Metropolitan Area Consumer Price Index, but in no event shall increase by more than 3% per year, on all taxable parcels in the District.

A parcel shall be defined as any unit of land in the District which receives a separate tax bill from the County Assessor. All property which would otherwise be exempt from property taxes will also be exempt from the imposition of said special tax. Any property owner aged 65 years or older may qualify for an exemption from the special tax if the property owner occupies the parcel.

The stated purposes of the special tax are to: promote early reading; retain staff, teachers, programs, class sizes, and school library staff; teach reading, writing, math, art, music, foreign language and technology; and to maintain safety.

The proceeds of the special tax will be placed into a special account. The Board of Trustees must file an annual report accounting for the parcel tax revenues collected and the manner in which they have been spent.

This measure would also increase the District's appropriations limit per fiscal year for fiscal years 2003-2004 to 2006-2007, in an amount equal to the levy of the special tax for that year, as permitted by Article XIIIB, section 4 of the California Constitution.

A "yes" vote on this measure would allow a special tax to be levied on property within the boundaries of the San Carlos School District in an amount of up to $98 per year, adjusted annually by changes in the Consumer Price Index for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose Metropolitan Area Consumer Price Index, but in no event shall increase by more than 3% per year, per taxable parcels in the District to be used to promote early reading; retain staff, teachers, programs, class sizes, and school library staff; teach reading, writing, math, art, music, foreign language and technology; and to maintain safety. It would also allow the appropriations (spending) limit to be raised.

A "no" vote on this measure would not allow the special tax to be levied and would not allow the appropriations limit to be raised.

This measure passes if two-thirds of those voting on the measure vote "yes."

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For information about the San Carlos School District

Passage of Measure D is vital if our local schools are to address this crisis and continue to provide the kind of quality education our community expects for its children.

The facts are clear.

Without Measure D funds:

• the district will be forced to cut programs that promote early reading.
• the library staff at each local school will be reduced.
• classroom teachers will be laid off.
• the district will not be able to attract and retain the best teachers in the area.
• class sizes will increase.

All of the funds raised by Measure D will be spent in the San Carlos School District. None of these funds will be spent on district administration. An Independent Citizens Oversight Committee will ensure all funds are used as approved.

There is a cost but one that is reasonable. Passage of Measure D will cost local property owners $98 per year - less than $9 per month. An exemption will be available for those 65 years of age or older.

Approval of Measure D requires a two-thirds majority. Every yes vote is extremely important - for the future of our schools and for the future of our community.

Please join us and vote yes on Measure D.

/s/ Thomas Davids
Mayor, City of San Carlos

/s/ Linda Teutschel
Community Volunteer

/s/ Forbes King
Former San Carlos Citizen of the Year

/s/ Laura J. Larkin
Past President, San Carlos Educational Foundation

/s/ Pete Nannarone
Retired Police Commander

Balderdash! If Measure D were intended to address a (potential) decline in revenue, it would not ask you to authorize an increase in spending beyond the Gann limit. The Gann limit already permits spending to increase in proportion to inflation and school population.

Ordinarily, the Gann Limit should reduce your tax rate in subsequent years, if total revenue growth later exceeded this inflation/population formula - the right behavior for addressing a temporary revenue shortfall. Instead, Measure D waives your Gann Limit rights so they can keep increasing their spending - whether they truly need more money or not.

1990's Extravagance: The proponents suggest that all the spending increases of the dot-com boom years are now essential. We don't believe it. The District had only 93 full-time-equivalent teachers just 10 years ago. Increasing the payroll to 134 FTE teachers was immoderate and wasteful. A small rollback now wouldn't be the end of the world.

Defend Freedom- Citizens who wish to give more money to schools can do so without Measure D. Please don't force the needy and unwilling to empty their pockets too.

/s/ Jack Hickey
Chair, Libertarian Party of San Mateo County

/s/ Christopher VA Schmidt
Retired Computer Professional

We all want our public schools to be adequately funded. That's why we ALREADY pay property taxes, plus state and federal income taxes.

- And local property tax revenue mushroomed in the 1990's, growing 34% between 1997 and 2000 alone!

The dot-com boom is over, but school officials would like to keep increasing spending as though it never ended.

Enough Already!

Since 1993, income from regular property taxes increased 84% - bringing the schools an additional $4.6 million per year - making further tax increases superfluous.

That's an average increase of 7.9% increase per year - far outstripping inflation. In fact, regular local property tax revenue - not counting parcel taxes - grew to provide 20% more money to the District than it received from all sources combined just 8 years earlier.

Time for compassion:

Many of our neighbors are close to the edge of insolvency. It is not right to ask them to pay more in taxes because some government administrators don't want to face up to the reality that revenue can't be expected to increase every year as it did in the last decade.

Gasoline and health costs are skyrocketing, and many of us are struggling to make ends meet - especially those who have been laid off.

Please vote `No', and ask the District to learn to live within a budget like the rest of us.

Thank you!

/s/ John J. Hickey
Chair, Libertarian Party of San Mateo County

/s/ Christopher VA Schmidt
Retired Computer Professional

• Every Yes vote is a vote to maintain a tradition of quality schools and classroom programs.
• Every No vote is a vote to increase class sizes, eliminate valuable classroom teachers and dismantle an educational program generations of San Carlos residents have worked to create.

Measure D will raise local funds that will allow our schools to:

• promote early reading,
• maintain small class sizes,
• keep school libraries staffed,
• attract and retain quality teachers,
• support the teaching of reading, writing, mathematics, music and art as part of a well-rounded education, and
• maintain safe schools.

There is a cost for voting Yes on Measure D but it is reasonable. There is also a cost for voting No and it is unacceptable.

Please vote yes on Measure D.

/s/ Ted Lempert
Chief Executive Officer, EdVoice

/s/ Vicci Mueller
Sixth Grade Teacher, Central Middle School

/s/ Greg St. Claire
Owner of A Tavola restaurant

/s/ Tessa Martino
President - San Carlos Council PTA

/s/ Steve Lippi
Former Commissioner - American Youth Soccer Organization

a) promote early reading and literacy,

b) retain quality teachers and staff in order to maintain classroom programs,

c) maintain class sizes as small as possible,

d) keep school libraries staffed,

e) support the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics,

f) maintain a well-rounded education including instrumental and vocal music, art, foreign language, and technology, and

g) maintain safe, supportive schools.

The resources shall be fairly and equitably distributed to all kindergarten through eighth grade schools operated or chartered by the District.

All revenues shall be spent on programs directly benefiting students; no revenues shall be spent on the indirect costs of District Administration.

All revenues shall be monitored by an independent Citizens' Advisory Committee. The number of Committee members and the procedure for their selection shall be established by Board resolution. This Committee shall provide an annual monitoring report to the Board and this report shall be posted on the District website.

This Measure will also increase the District's Gann Appropriation Limit by an amount equal to the levy of said tax for said year, as allowed by Article XIIIB, Section 4, of the California State Constitution for the next four years. This approval is required for the District to use the revenues generated by the tax.

A parcel will be defined as any unit of land in the District, which now receives a separate tax bill from the San Mateo County Assessor's Office, except that only one tax will be assessed to owners whose property includes one or more contiguous parcels. All property which would otherwise be exempt from property taxes will also be exempt from the imposition of said special tax. An exemption from the assessment shall be made available to each individual in the District who will attain the age of 65 years prior to July 1 of the assessment year and who owns a beneficial interest in the parcel, or a divided or undivided portion of such parcel, and who uses such parcel as his or her principal place of residence, upon an application to the District on or before August 1, 2003 or June 30 of any succeeding assessment year. Such exemption will be granted upon presentation of proof of age, ownership and occupancy as principal place of residence in accordance with regulation adopted by the School Board, and shall remain in effect for the entire term of the tax.