See Also: Index of all Measures

By this measure, the Board of Trustees of the Pacifica School District proposes to levy a special tax for a period of five years beginning July 1, 2007 and ending June 30, 2012. This tax shall be at a rate not to exceed $96 per year per parcel on all taxable parcels in the District.

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

The stated purposes of the special tax are for hiring and retaining teaching and support staff, improving teacher training in core academic subjects, enhancing library services, and preventing additional cutbacks in structional programs.

The proceeds of the special tax will be placed into a special account. An annual report is required that accounts for the parcel tax revenues collected and the manner in which they have been spent.

A "yes" vote on this measure would allow a special tax to be levied on property within the boundaries of the Pacifica School District for a period of five years beginning July 1, 2007 and ending June 30, 2012 in an amount up to $96 per year per taxable parcel. The special tax would be used for hiring and retaining teaching and support staff, improving teacher training in core academic subjects, enhancing library services, and preventing additional cutbacks in instructional programs.

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

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

Yes on Measure Q

Pacifica School District is almost dead last in funding per student in San Mateo County. We're 22 out of 23 school districts. Only East Palo Alto is in worse shape. State-wide, Pacifica School District is in the bottom 11% for funding.

The Pacifica School District (PSD) has cut $1.2 million out of the budget over the past six years.

In order to prepare our children for a 21st century world, in an increasingly technological world, we must develop dependable funding. We must maintain and enhance science, math and library programs.

Measure Q means:

$96 per parcel, or $8 month, or about 25 cents per day.

Expires after five years.

Senior exemption.

Enhances math, science and library programs.

Helps attract and retain qualified teachers and support staff.

Helps prevent education cut-backs.

Provides for a Pacifica Citizens Oversight Committee to monitor the program.

Helps maintain small class size.

A bright spot: despite the funding shortfalls, PSD is an honored State of California High Performing District.

The PSD made great strides in raising student academic performance over the last 5 years. Student scores improved substantially - from 772 in 2002 to 820 in 2006 - placing Pacifica among "high performing" schools when compared to the State average of 720 and the County average of 798. To sustain this positive momentum, the District needs our help.

We must develop local funding-self help--- for our schools. We cannot depend on Sacramento for stable funding. Over the past three years, billions of education dollars have been sidetracked by politics and competing interests.

In this economy, students must master science and technology that did not exist when we were in school. We have to do better for our students and our community.

Please support Measure Q.

/s/ Karen Ervin February 15, 2007 Pacifica School District Board Member

/s/ Eileen Manning - Villar February 15, 2007 President, Vallemar Parent Teacher Organization

/s/ Ken Restivo February 15, 2007 Ocean Shore Parent

/s/ Suzan Getchell - Wallace February 15, 2007 Small Business Owner

/s/ Ernest C. Scott February 15, 2007 Past President, Pacifica Friends of the Library

This Proposition may be known and referred to as the "Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007" or as "Measure Q".

TERMS OF SUSTAIN PACIFICA SCHOOLS SPECIAL TAX

Terms and Purposes. Upon approval of two thirds of those voting on this measure, the Pacifica School District (the "District") shall be authorized to levy a qualified special tax of $96 per year on each parcel of taxable real property in the District in each year commencing July 1, 2007, for a period of five years, ending June 30, 2012.

The Governing Board shall cause the tax to be levied at this amount or at such lesser amount in any year in which the Board deems such reduced amount sufficient and appropriate to meet the District's budgetary needs, or believes such reduced amount is appropriate in reaction to State budget changes.

The qualified special tax shall be known and referred to as the "Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax". Proceeds of the tax shall be authorized to be used to provide funding to attract and retain experienced and high quality teachers and support staff, to improve teacher training in core academic subjects, and to enhance library services, and to prevent additional cutbacks in instructional programs.

Senior Citizen Exemption.

In order to provide tax relief to senior citizens in the community, any parcel owned and occupied by a person 65 years of age or older shall be exempt from the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax upon proper application to the District. The exemption shall be available pursuant to procedures to be prescribed by the District's Governing Board or otherwise as required by law or by the San Mateo County Tax Collector.

ACCOUNTABILITY PROVISIONS

Annual Audit. Upon the levy and collection of the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax, the Governing Board shall cause an account to be established for deposit of the proceeds. For so long as any proceeds of the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax remain unexpended, the Superintendent or chief financial officer of the District shall cause a report to be filed with the District's Governing Board no later than December 31 of each year, commencing December 31, 2008, stating (1) the amount of Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax received and expended in such year, and (2) the status of any projects or description of any programs funded from proceeds of the tax. The report may relate to the calendar year, fiscal year, or other appropriate annual period, as the Superintendent shall determine, and may be incorporated into or filed with the annual budget, audit, or other appropriate routine report to the District's Governing Board. To insure additional accountability, an independent community oversight committee of volunteers shall be appointed by the Governing Board to oversee all expenditures funded by the measure, and to advise the Governing Board regarding the proper expenditure of the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax proceeds.

Specific Purposes. All of the purposes named in the measure shall constitute the specific purposes of the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax, and proceeds of the tax shall be applied only for such purposes.

Appropriations Limit. The District's Governing Board shall provide in each year (pursuant to Section 7902.1 of the California Government Code or any successor provision of law) for any increase in the District's appropriations limit as shall be necessary to ensure that proceeds of the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax, and of all qualified special taxes levied by the District, may be spent for the authorized purposes, and an election shall be conducted by the District for such purpose only if required by the general laws of the State applicable to school district qualified special taxes. This provision shall be deemed to be declaratory of existing procedures governing District expenditures.

LEVY AND COLLECTION

The Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax shall be collected by the San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector at the same time and in the same manner and shall be subject to the same penalties as ad valorem property taxes collected by the Treasurer-Tax Collector. Unpaid taxes shall bear interest at the same rate as the rate for unpaid ad valorem property taxes until paid. The collection of the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax shall not decrease the funds available from other sources of the District in any period from the effective date hereof.

"Parcel of taxable real property" shall be defined as any unit of real property in the District which receives a separate tax bill for ad valorem property taxes from the San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office. All property which is otherwise exempt from or on which are levied no ad valorem property taxes in any year shall also be exempt from the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax in such year. Parcels owned and occupied by persons 65 years of age or older are exempt from the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax as described above.

The District shall annually provide a list of parcels which the District has approved for a Senior Citizen Exemption from the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax as described above to the San Mateo County tax collection officials. The San Mateo County Assessor's determination of exemption or relief for any reason of any parcel from taxation, other than through the Senior Citizen Exemption, shall be final and binding for the purposes of the Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Tax. Taxpayers wishing to challenge the County Assessor's determination must do so under the procedures for correcting a misclassification of property pursuant to Section 4876.5 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code or other applicable procedures. Taxpayers seeking a refund of Sustain Pacifica Schools Act of 2007 Taxes paid shall follow the procedures applicable to property tax refunds pursuant to the California Revenue and Taxation Code.

SEVERABILITY

The District's Governing Board 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 Governing Board 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 competent jurisdiction to be invalid for any reason, all remaining parts hereof shall shall remain in full force and effect to the fullest extent allowed by law.