League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Marin County, CA November 4, 2008 Election
	Measure A Special Assessment for Educational Programs and Services Mill Valley School District 2/3 Approval Required Pass: 13607 / 74.40% Yes votes ...... 4683 / 25.60% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure A

Mill Valley residents are justifiably proud of our excellent public elementary and middle school district. The Mill Valley School District is one of the 10 highest-performing districts in California. But deep and continuing cuts in state education funding threaten to take that away from us. Even with conservative fiscal management and extraordinary individual contributions from our parent community, state budget cuts have already forced the District to slash important classroom programs and supplies and eliminate positions crucial to educational quality. More state budget cuts are on the way and will force the District to lay off teachers and cut core academic programs. Voting YES for Measure A will enable the Mill Valley School District to: Protect against damaging state budget cuts Avoid laying off any of its excellent teachers Continue hiring the best teachers available and improving our schools Maintain school libraries and library services Sustain physical education programs that keep students healthy and active Preserve small class sizes that are vital to academic success We need reliable local revenue to shield our schools from the relentless Sacramento money grab. Every dollar raised by Measure A will remain in the Mill Valley School District and cannot be taken by the state. Great schools benefit everyone in our community. Mill Valley's top-performing schools increase our property values and make Mill Valley a wonderful place to live and work. And, of course, we all have a stake in the future success of today's young people. That is why Measure A is supported by a broad coalition of Mill Valley business, education and community leaders. Visit http://www.KeepMVSchoolsGreat.com for a complete list of Measure A supporters. Please join us in VOTING YES on Measure A. Together, we can safeguard our students from state budget cuts, keep our excellent teachers and preserve vital classroom programs. s/TRISHA GARLOCK Executive Director, Kiddo! s/DEE TRESHNELL President, Mill Valley Teachers Association s/SHAWN MARSHALL Mayor, Mill Valley s/CHARLES McGLASHAN President, Marin County Board of Supervisors s/STEVE SELL President, Mill Valley School District Board of Trustees (No arguments against Measure A were submitted)

Full Text of Measure A

FULL TEXT OF MEASURE A MILL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT RESOLUTION NO. 1-08/09 RESOLUTION OF THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE MILL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPOSING AMENDMENT OF EXISTING PARCEL TAX AND ESTABLISHING SPECIFICATIONS OF THE ELECTION ORDER August 5, 2008 THE MILL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD FINDS: State funding for education has been inadequate and unpredictable and is being further reduced this budget year. The Mill Valley School District (Edna Maguire, Mill Valley Middle, Old Mill, Park, Strawberry Point, and Tamalpais Valley schools) will be forced to reduce, suspend or eliminate important programs beneficial and necessary to the children who attend the schools of the District; and, The voters of Mill Valley have consistently supported the District's excellent education program through the passage of local parcel taxes and bonds that have enabled the recruitment and retention of superior teachers and staff, small class sizes, and renovation of all six local schools; and, The voters of the District previously authorized a renewal of the District's parcel tax, which expires on June 30, 2014; however, unless voters authorize an amendment increasing the amount of the tax, updating the purposes for which the proceeds of the tax may be used and extending the length of the existing parcel tax, a substantial reduction and elimination of educational programs and services will result; and Such voter support for Mill Valley's schools by the community has tangible results in the form of consistently high student test scores and excellent staff; and The Mill Valley School District cannot continue to maintain its excellent educational program without amending the existing parcel tax, and without an increase to the parcel tax would be forced to reduce teachers and staff and cut vital programs; and The Mill Valley School District has worked collaboratively with its schools community foundation (Kiddo!), and with all six local PTAs to fill in as much of the funding gap as possible through annual direct contributions; and These community partners will continue to raise essential funds to provide art, music, drama, poetry, and dance for students across the District, as well as computers and other site needs for all six schools; and The State of California's budget problems make increased state funding impossible, and the federal government has withheld earmarked federal funds for such services as special education; and The Mill Valley School District is committed to the highest standards of fiscal accountability and budget transparency, for which it has been publicly praised by the County; and must, by law, create a three-year budget with a minimum 3% reserve; and Section 4 of Article XIIIA of the California Constitution and Government Code Sections 50075, 50076, 50077, 50079 and 53720, et seq., authorize school districts to levy a special tax for specified purposes upon approval by two-thirds of the votes cast. NOW, THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE MILL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. An election is called and ordered and shall be conducted on November 4, 2008, at which election will be submitted to the qualified voters of the Mill Valley School District a measure to authorize the amendment of the existing special tax for the purpose of providing specified educational programs, increasing the amount of the tax and extending the length of the tax for a period of four additional years. The full text of the measure is as follows: "Measure _____ AMENDMENT OF MILL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL ASSESSMENT FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES To protect educational quality; attract and keep high-quality teachers; maintain library services and P.E. programs; preserve small neighborhood schools and class sizes; and prevent significant budget cuts due to reductions in State education funding; shall the Mill Valley School District (Edna Maguire, Mill Valley Middle, Old Mill, Park, Strawberry Point and Tamalpais Valley schools) be authorized to amend its existing parcel tax by increasing its existing tax by $193, extending the tax for an additional four years from its current expiration date of June 30, 2014, while continuing existing accountability measures and with all revenues spent in Mill Valley schools for the purposes set forth in the measure and maintain the provision for the annual increase in the tax and the senior exemption for any beneficial owner of a parcel who is 65 or over and who uses that parcel as his or her principal place of residence? The proceeds of the special tax will be used to address the District's Strategic Plan for the specific purposes listed below. Attract and keep high quality teachers. Maintain school libraries, library services and physical education programs; Preserve small neighborhood schools and class sizes; Prevent budget cuts due to loss of state funding; and Under the existing special tax, the rate increases by 5% per year, and the rate will be $470.38 per year per assessor's parcel on July 1, 2009. Under the amended special tax, the parcel tax shall increase to $663.38 beginning July 1, 2009, the 5% annual rate adjustments will continue beginning July 1, 2010, until the new expiration date of June 30, 2018. The senior exemption provided in the existing special tax will be continued; the exemption shall be granted for any parcel owned by one or more persons 65 years of age or over on or before July 1 of any applicable year who uses that parcel as his or her principal place of residence, upon application for exemption. The District must provide accountability measures to ensure that: (1) the proceeds of the special tax are applied only to the specific purposes listed; (2) the proceeds of the special tax are deposited into a special account; (3) the District's chief fiscal officer files a report with the Governing Board at least once a year regarding the amount of funds collected, expended and the status of projects funded by the special tax; and (4) in addition to the accountability measures required by law and described herein, an annual audit will be conducted to ensure that the proceeds of the special tax are used for the purposes identified." Section 2: The text of the measure as displayed on each individual ballot shall be abbreviated and shall read as follows: "Special Assessment Amendment: To protect educational quality; attract and keep high-quality teachers; maintain library services and P.E. programs; preserve small neighborhood schools and class sizes; and prevent significant budget cuts due to reductions in State education funding; shall the Mill Valley School District amend its existing parcel tax for local elementary and middle schools, increasing it by $193 and extending it for four years, while continuing existing accountability measures and with all revenues spent in Mill Valley schools?" Section 3: Subject to two-thirds approval of the voters, and commencing on July 1, 2009, the Marin County Tax Collector shall collect the amended special tax annually on all assessor's parcels at the rate specified above for a period of eight years. The Marin County Tax Collector shall collect and administer the special tax at the same time as, along with, and in the same manner as he/she fixes and collects ad valorem property taxes under provisions of the California Revenue and Taxation Code. Section 4: The District shall provide all accountability measures required by Government Code Sections 50075.1 and 50075.3 including, but not limited to the following: Ensuring that the proceeds of the special tax enacted by this Resolution shall be applied only to the specific purposes identified in this Resolution; Creating an account into which the proceeds of the special tax shall be deposited; and Ensuring that the District's chief fiscal officer files a report with the Governing Board at least once a year regarding the amount of funds collected and expended, and the status of any project required or authorized to be funded by the special tax. Section 5: In addition to the accountability measures required by law and described in Section 4, the District shall require an annual audit of the proceeds of the special tax to ensure that they are used for the purposes identified in this Resolution. Section 6: The authority for the specifications of this election order is contained in California Education Code Section 5322. Section 7: The Mill Valley School District Governing Board President shall certify to the due adoption of this Resolution and no later than August 8, 2008, deliver a copy of the certified Resolution to the Marin County Superintendent of Schools and file a copy of the certified Resolution with the Marin County Clerk and Marin County Board of Supervisors. Section 8: Governing Board members, the District Superintendent, and District officers are hereby authorized and directed individually and collectively to do any and all things and to execute, deliver, and perform any and all agreements and documents that they deem necessary or advisable in order to effectuate the purposes of this Resolution, including, without limitation, to prepare and submit for inclusion in the voter information pamphlet an argument in favor of passage of the ballot measure. All actions previously taken by the officers and agents of the District that are in conformity with the purposes and intent of this Resolution are hereby ratified, confirmed, and approved in all respects. Section 9: The Governing Board requests the Marin County Clerk and the Marin County Superintendent of Schools to take all steps necessary to call and hold the election on November 4, 2008, in accordance with law. Section 10: The Governing Board requests the governing body of any other political subdivision, or any officer otherwise authorized by law, to consolidate partially or completely its election and to provide that the canvass be made by any body or official authorized by law to canvass the returns of the election, and the Board consents to this consolidation. Section 11: If any section, subsection, phrase, or clause of this Resolution is for any reason held to be invalid, the invalidation shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Resolution. The Governing Board declares that it would have adopted this Resolution and each section, subsection, phrase, or clause of the Resolution irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, phrases, or clauses may be declared invalid. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Trustees of the Mill Valley School District at a regular meeting held on the 5th day of 2008, by the following vote: AYES: 5 NOES: 0 ABSENT: 0 ABSTAIN: 0 s/STEVEN J. SELL President of the Board