League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Mateo County, CA May 3, 2011 Election
	Measure C Parcel Tax Jefferson Union High School District 2/3 Approval Required Fail: 7,983 / 59.5% Yes votes ...... 5,432 / 40.5% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure C

Measure C will guarantee funding for Jefferson, Oceana, Terra Nova, Thornton, and Westmoor High Schools for academic programs including math, science, reading, and writing, and will help the District retain quality teachers. By law, Measure C funds can only be used to improve our neighborhood schools and cannot be taken away by the State and spent elsewhere. By providing a source of locally controlled funding, Measure C will allow our schools to continue to focus on academic excellence in our classrooms, to provide vocational and technical training to students, and to prepare our children for college and today's workforce. Measure C will: maintain and improve core academics such as math, science, reading, and writing attract and retain highly qualified and experienced teachers maintain smaller class sizes maintain and improve computer technology and vocational training Measure C protects taxpayers and will: expire after four years provide for a senior citizens' exemption require that all funds be locally spent prohibit funds from being taken by the State and spent elsewhere require that funds be used for classroom academics and not administrative salaries Our local schools are our community's most important asset and number one priority. Measure C deserves our support. Top quality teachers, strong academic programs, and community support have kept our schools strong. Now we need your support more than ever. Strong schools build strong communities. Please join us in working to uphold the quality of our schools by voting YES ON MEASURE C! Jean E. Brink, Former Trustee, Jefferson Union High School District Albert Teglia, Former Mayor, City of Daly City Michael D. Nevin, Former President, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors John C. Sweeney, Jr., President, Terra Nova Boosters Club Yukiku Diane Go, Parent (No arguments against Measure C were submitted)

Full Text of Measure C

To maintain/improve academic programs, including reading, writing, science, and math; retain highly qualified teachers; and fund computer technology, vocational training, adult education, arts and athletics at Jefferson, Oceana, Terra Nova, Thornton, and Westmoor High Schools; shall Jefferson Union High School District levy $96 per parcel annually for four years with senior exemptions, no money for administrators' salaries, independent community oversight, and all funds used for neighborhood schools and not taken by the State? PURPOSE To provide local revenue that cannot be taken by the State and to maintain exceptional public education in our schools, the Jefferson Union High School District proposes to levy and collect a qualified special tax annually for four years as more fully described below under "SPECIAL TAX AND PROCEDURES", and to implement accountability measures in connection with the special parcel tax to provide oversight and accountability to ensure that funds are used to: Preserve excellence in core academic programs such as reading, writing, math, and science; Minimize class size increases in all grades and layoffs for dozens of teachers and school employees: Continue teacher professional development by providing training programs and activities that support high quality teaching; Help protect arts and music instruction, course offerings, and electives that provide a well-rounded education, challenge students, allow students to be highly competitive for college and university admissions, provide career vocational education that prepares students for the workforce and provide instructional support for those struggling with the basics; reduce the impact of deep budget cuts by providing a stable local funding source that cannot be taken away by the State or other school districts; and Protect the taxpayers' investment in education and ensure District accountability by providing for oversight and independent financial audits of revenues and expenditures. The Board of Trustees will utilize parcel tax proceeds for the purposes listed above, unless the Board of Trustees determines in any given year that changes in student population, fiscal constraints, or other changes in state or federal funding make doing so infeasible or inadvisable. In any event, the Board of Trustees will not fund any program or reduction other than those listed above from the proceeds of the special parcel taxes. SPECIAL TAX AND PROCEDURES Amount of Special Tax. Subject to two-thirds approval of the voters, the special tax of $96 per parcel (except exempt parcels, as described below) shall become effective commencing with fiscal year 2011-12 and be collected by the San Mateo County Tax Collector at the same time as and along with, and shall be subject to the same penalities as general ad valorem taxes collected by said tax collector. Definition of Parcel. A parcel shall be defined as any unit of land in the District that receives a separate tax bill from the San Mateo County Tax Collector. However, with respect to any parcel that is classified by the San Mateo County Assessor as multi-family residential containing 2 to 4 units shall constitute 2 parcels, and those containing 5 or more units shall constitute 5 parcels, for the purposes of levying and collecting the special tax against such parcels, to the extent permitted by law. Exemptions. (1) All property that would otherwise be exempt from property taxes will also be exempt from the qualified tax. (2) In addition, in order to provide tax relief to senior citizens in the community, any parcel owned and occupied as a principal residence by a person 65 years of age or older shall be exempt from the levy of the special tax upon proper application to the District. The exemption shall be available pursuant to procedures to be prescribed by the District or otherwise as required by law or by the San Mateo County Tax Collector. Exclusive Procedures. The procedures described herein with respect to the levy and collection of the special tax and exemptions, and any additional procedures established by the Board of Trustees, shall be the exclusive claims procedure for claimants seeking an exemption, refund, reduction, or re-computation of the special parcel tax. Whether any particular claim is to be resolved by the District or by the County shall be determined by the District, in coordination with the County as necessary. The District's Board of Trustees may adopt such additional or supplemental procedures as it deems necessary or convenient for the administration of the special parcel tax. ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES In accordance with the requirements of the California Government Code sections 50075.1 and 50075.3, the following accountability measures, among others, shall apply to the special parcel taxes levied in accordance with this Measure: (a) the specific purposes of the special parcel tax shall be those purposes identified above; (b) the proceeds of the special parcel tax shall be applied only to those specific purposes identified above; (c) a separate, special account shall be created into which the proceeds of the special parcel taxes must be deposited; and (d) an annual written report shall be made to the Board of Trustees of the District showing (i) the amount of funds collected and expended from the proceeds of the special taxes and (ii) the status of any projects, programs, or purposes required or authorized to be funded from the proceeds of the special taxes, as identified above. In addition to the accountability measures required by State law, an independent Community Oversight Committee shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees to advise the Board on the expenditures funded by the measure in order to ensure that said funds are spent for the purposes approved by the voters. The Community Oversight Committee will monitor the expenditures of these funds by the District and shall report on an annual basis to the Board and community on how these funds have been spent. PROTECTION OF FUNDING Current law forbids any decrease in State or Federal funding to the District because of the District's adoption of a parcel tax. However, if any such funds are reduced because of the adoption of this parcel tax, then the amount of the special parcel taxes will be reduced annually as necessary in order to restore such State or Federal funding. SEVERABILITY The Board of Trustees of the District hereby declares and the voters by approving this measure concur, that every section, paragraph, sentence, and clause of this measure has independent value, and the Board of Trustees and the voters would have adopted each provision hereof regardless of every other provision hereof. Upon approval of this measure by the voters, should any part be found by a court of competenent jurisdiction to be invalid for any reason, all remaining parts hereof shall remain in full force and effect to the fullest extent allowed by law.