A in Alameda: School Tax Measure on Ballot for March 8, 2011

On March 8, 2011, Alamedans will be asked vote on Measure A, a school parcel tax that would replace existing school taxes and raise money to support the city's public schools. 

After months of meetings, discussions, forums and research, the carefully negotiated compromise parcel tax was on Nov. 30. And now it has a letter, "A."

"I see this parcel tax as a whole lot of compromise," said Alameda Unified School District Superintendent Kirsten Vital at a recent community meeting.

The rate and structure is a balancing act, she says, an effort to meet some of the needs of the city's schools while accommodating small business owners and others who have opposed previous parcel taxes. 

Major features of the proposed parcel tax:

1. It would replace ,  in Alameda, both of which will expire in 2012. 
2. The rate for parcels with buildings is 32 cents per building square foot, for both residential and commercial parcels.
3. Parcels without buildings will be taxed at a rate of $299 per parcel.
4. The maximum per parcel tax will be $7,999.
5. Seniors and people who receive disability insurance can be exempt from the tax. 
6. The tax will last seven years.

If you know the official building square footage of a property (according to Alameda County records) you can calculate what your tax bill would be. If you don't know your square footage, you can look it up here. A group, called Alameda Save Our Schools, has been organized to campaign for the tax. 

PLAN B?

"Plan B," is the backup plan in case if the parcel tax does not pass.

would increase class size across the district, trigger the closure of several schools and create larger-capacity schools, serving as many as nine grade levels per site.

Under Plan B, which would be implemented over the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years, enrollment boundaries would shift, elementary music, PE and media (library) would be eliminated, counseling services would be reduced, and ROTC eliminated.