League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Marin County, CA November 3, 2009 Election
	Measure A Special Tax Election to Maintain and Expand School Programs Lagunitas School District Special Tax Assessment - 2/3 Approval Required Pass: 816 / 67.44% Yes votes ...... 394 / 32.56% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure A

The Lagunitas School District provides outstanding education through unique programs, excellent teachers, and extraordinary parent involvement. Our innovative programs serve as models for other schools across the nation. Our graduates consistently excel in high school, emerging unusually well adapted to the real world with many going on to attend the best colleges and universities in the nation. California has been among the lowest states in per-pupil funding for education for decades. Lagunitas School District has suffered as one of the lowest-funded in Marin for many years. The recent state fiscal crisis has required the District to lay off employees and reduce important services to children. Our District depends on local funds for 15% of its budget. This revenue supports vital programs and services for children including: Art Music Science Foreign Language Physical Education Environmental Studies Smaller Class Sizes Library Services Educational Technology Instructional Materials Academic Intervention Counseling As Valley voters, we have proudly supported local funding for these programs for 15 years. Measure A does not request new funds, but continues our commitment to these critical programs. To offset reduced state funding, volunteers and staff continue to hold numerous fundraisers, lobby the State Legislature, and secure grants from Federal, State, and local agencies. To reduce costs, our District has released staff, cut programs and services, and engaged more volunteers. Strong schools like ours develop responsible citizens and leaders. They also keep our community vital, attract new families and enhance our property values. Your support for Measure A is essential for the District to continue to provide quality education that the children of our Valley deserve. If Measure A fails, local funding for these programs will end in June. Please Vote YES on Measure A. s/DAVE CORT Executive Director, San Geronimo Valley Community Center s/GARY GIACOMINI Retired County Supervisor s/MARY ANNE KOLANOSKI Retired Lagunitas School District Teacher s/JASPER THELIN Teacher, Sir Francis Drake High School s/ZOILA BERARDI Community Member (No arguments against Measure A were submitted)

Full Text of Measure A

WHEREAS, the California State Legislature has failed to provide adequate and necessary funding for the continued operations of the schools of the Lagunitas Elementary School District and their instructional programs; and WHEREAS, as a result of this lack of funding for the schools, Lagunitas Elementary School District is in danger of eliminating educational programs and support services that are critical and necessary to the children who attend the schools of the district; and WHEREAS, continued reliance solely on state funding will result in further loss of critical programs; and WHEREAS, 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" to raise funds for the purpose of providing funds to run the schools of the district upon approval of two-thirds of the votes cast by voters voting upon such a special tax proposal; WHEREAS, passage of a state Constitutional Amendment would allow local voters to decide to continue to make investments in their neighborhood schools in addition to state funding; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Governing Board of the Lagunitas Elementary School District resolves to conduct a special election on November 3, 2009, at which will be submitted to the qualified voters of the Lagunitas Elementary School District a measure to continue to authorize a special tax for the purpose of continuing and expanding vital educational programs, critical to the educational process in the schools of the district; BE IT RESOLVED, FURTHERMORE, BY THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE LAGUNITAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Said election is hereby called to be held within the boundaries of the Lagunitas Elementary School District; at which elections shall be submitted to the qualified voters the following measure, to wit: Shall the Lagunitas Elementary School District maintain vital educational programs currently threatened by cuts in state funding including basic educational programs, enrichment and support services for students, by levying a $325 assessment per assessor's parcel per year, with a 6.5% yearly cost-of-living adjustment for eight years, beginning July 1, 2010, exempting any parcel used as a principal place of residence by any owner 65 years of age before May 1st of that year? The funds shall be used for; District Programs: Maintain present education programs including science, physical education, art, music, foreign language, environmental studies and maintain reasonable class size. Support Services: Maintain current support services for students including academic intervention, counseling, educational technology, and library. Basic Instructional materials: maintain adequate per student allowance and update classroom instructional materials to ensure adequate quantity and quality of instructional materials. Priorities for expenditures of funds the first and each successive year will be determined by the Governing Board with input from staff, parents and the community. The special tax will be imposed in the amount of $325.00 for each assessors parcel beginning July 1, 2010 with a yearly cost of living adjustment of 6.5% for eight years. An exemption from the assessment will be made available to each individual in the district who will attain age 65 years prior to May 1 of the assessment year, who owns a beneficial interest in the parcel, who uses that parcel as his or her principal place of residence, and who applies to the District on or before May 1, 2010 or May 1 of any succeeding assessment year. Any one application from a qualified applicant will provide an exemption for the parcel for the remaining term of the assessment so long as such applicant continues to use the parcel as his or her principal residence. Section 2. The text of the measure as displayed on each individual ballot shall be abbreviated and shall read as follows: LAGUNITAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL TAX ASSESSMENT FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS "Shall the Lagunitas Elementary School District maintain vital educational programs currently threatened by cuts in state funding including basic educational programs, enrichment and support services for students, by levying a $325 assessment per assessor's parcel per year, with a 6.5% yearly cost-of-living adjustment for eight years, beginning July 1, 2010, exempting any single parcel used as a principal place of residence by any owner 65 years of age before May 1st of that year?" YES NO Section 3. Commencing on July 1, 2010, the special tax specified above, shall be collected and administered in the same manner as ad valorem property taxes are fixed and collected under provisions of the California Revenue and Taxation Code. Section 4. The Superintendent of Schools of Marin County is hereby requested to call an election of the said "special tax" to be held on 11-3-09. The County Clerk is hereby requested and authorized to: 1) set forth on all sample ballots relating to said election to be mailed to the qualified electors of the Lagunitas Elementary School District said measure; and 2) provide absent voter ballots for said "special Tax" election for use by qualified electors of the Lagunitas Elementary School District who are entitled thereto in the manner provided by law. Section 5. If any section, sub-section, phrase or clause of this resolution is for any reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this resolution. This governing board declares that it would have adopted this resolution and each section, sub-section, phrase or clause thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, sub-sections, sentences, phrases or clauses be declared invalid. Section 6. The clerk of the Lagunitas Elementary School District Governing Board is hereby authorized and directed to certify to the due adoption of this resolution and to transmit a copy hereof so certified to the Superintendent of Schools of Marin County and to file a copy hereof so certified with the county Clerk of Marin County. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Lagunitas Elementary School District Board of Trustees at a meeting held on 6/30/2009 by the following vote: AYES: 5 (Giacomini, O'Brien, Sloan, Rebscher, Santa Cruz-Bohman) NOES: 0 ABSENT: 0 ABSTAIN: 0 s/DENISE SANTA CRUZ-BOHMAN Clerk of the Board