Schools

New Haven to Revisit Parcel Tax

The school district will survey residents to fine-tune its approach the second time around

After , the and various community organizations are regrouping to develop another parcel tax to help fund local schools.

“Obviously, we still have a need for another revenue stream,” district spokesperson Rick La Plante said. “The state simply isn’t providing enough money to adequately educate students in Union City and South Hayward.”

An ad hoc committee comprised of representatives from parent groups, community organizations, the New Haven Teachers Association and the , along with district staff and supporters of the original Measure B parcel tax, have been meeting monthly since June to discuss the new tax proposal.

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The committee is hoping a fine-tuned approach that appeals to more residents will garner more support.

During Tuesday night’s school board meeting, the committee gave a presentation on the campaign, dubbed “Winning for Our Students,” and asked the New Haven Board of Education to commission a poll of the community to determine what priorities voters would support, how much voters are willing to pay, and whether a May mail-in ballot or a general November election will be better for the campaign.

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“I don’t think any of us can put a finger on the exact reason [why Measure B didn’t pass], but we would like to know what our community supports and what items are the most important to our community,” said Charmaine Kawaguchi, president of the New Haven Teachers Association and “Winning for Our Students” committee member.

The May measure — — would have taxed property owners $180 for four years and raised approximately $3 million a year. The funds would have been used specifically to pay for afterschool programs, preserve instructional time and minimize class size increases.

The survey, which will cost the district up to $25,000, will explore if residents would rather support safety, transportation, library services or other interests.

Kawaguchi said a tax based on parcel size is also an option the group is considering.

One of the factors for the previous measure’s failure may have been the tax amount, La Plante said.

“It was a very difficult time to ask people to tax themselves,” he said.

It was also the first mail-in ballot election the school district has held, La Plante said.

“For some it was a little confusing. I’m sure we lost a lot of votes through that process,” he said “Having gone through that experience once, voters on both sides will be more aware of how the process works.”

“All that said, virtually two-thirds of the people who voted supported it. If 81 people had just voted ‘yes,’ it would have won,” he added.

The need for more funding is needed now more than ever, La Plante said.

“We’ve cut programming to the bone. We’ve increased class sizes as much as we possibly can, reduced staff as much as we can [and] reduced the school year by as many days as we can allow,” he said.

Over the summer, New Haven was forced to make across its schools. Some of the budget pressures were alleviated due to outside support.

Without a $100,000 donation by the New Haven Schools Foundation, afterschool activities would have been scrapped, La Plante said.

“They were clear it was a one-time donation. They can’t do that every year,” he said.

Among the most detrimental impacts to students this school year has been the increased class sizes, Kawaguchi said.

Kindergarten classrooms are now set at a 25 student max. However, kindergarten classes at Kitayama Elementary School are at 27 students per teacher, according to Kawaguchi.

“It’s not an acceptable start to the broadest base of education. That kindergarten year is the base that we build everything else on. That’s why we protected our elementary class size for so many years, almost at the expense of the other grades,” Kawaguchi said.

A parcel tax may be the only way to relieve the district of its financial burdens, La Plante said.

“If we want to continue to provide afterschool activities and keep class sizes from increasing, we’re going to have to find that money somewhere,” La Plante said. “A parcel tax seems like the best option and, in many ways, the only option.”


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