League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Alameda County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
	Measure L Parcel tax for student achievement, support and safety Oakland Unified School District 2/3 Approval Required Fail: 70471 / 65.95% Yes votes ...... 36390 / 34.05% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure L

Improve Student Achievement, Prepare Students for College and Career, Retain Excellent Teachers - VoteYes on L! Sacramento has taken millions from Oakland's schools and will continue to do so. In the past year, Oakland schools have cut spending by $122 Million. More than 600 school staff -- teachers, aides, librarians, custodians, school nurses, and school safety officers have been laid off. Too many of our valuable teachers leave our District annually for neighboring districts because we can't afford competitive salaries. Today's schools must address children's essential academic, social, and emotional needs. To improve student achievement, EVERY student must have an experienced, effective teacher. Yes on L ensures ALL of Oakland's schools receive additional funding, so students throughout Oakland succeed. Yes on L helps every student read at or above grade level. Yes on L increases Oakland's teachers' salaries - to retain experienced, effective teachers and improve teacher performance. Yes on L provides every school with student support staff, including teachers' aides, safety officers and custodians. Yes on L includes strict fiscal accountability guarantees - an Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee, public expenditure reports and annual independent audits - ensuring funds are spent properly. Yes on L creates financial stability in the School District by maintaining vital funding for Oakland's schools that by law cannot be taken by Sacramento. The California Department of Education found that Oakland Unified is the most improved large urban district in California, over the last five years. However, without funding to offset Sacramento budget cuts, we won't be able to continue this progress. Support Oakland kids at a time when they need it most - Vote Yes on L! Visit http://www.HelpOaklandSchools.com. "By working together and supporting our schools, all of our students will succeed - Yes on L!" Yuri Vasquez, 2010 Valedictorian, Mandela High School. s/Sally Barry Chabot Elementary School PTA Executive Vice President s/Suzanne Loosen Co President Oakland League of Women Voters s/Anthony Martin Cody Science Teacher s/Caleb Cheung 2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching s/Morris L Tatum Head School Custodian (No arguments against Measure L were submitted)

Full Text of Measure L

OAKLAND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, SUPPORT AND SAFETY MEASURE This Measure may be known and referred to as the "Oakland Student Achievement, Support and Safety Measure" or as "Measure L". FINDINGS The most important job of Oakland schools is to give the children of Oakland the quality education they deserve in order to improve student achievement, help every child read at or above grade level, and prepare students for college and careers. Since 2004, student academic achievement in Oakland schools has improved faster than in any other large urban school district in the State, as measured by Academic Performance Index scores. The Oakland Unified School District (the "District") is committed to improving teacher performance and retaining the very best teachers by offering compensation that is competitive with other East Bay school districts. All students and teachers and their schools rely on school-site health and safety support staff, including nurses, school security officers, and custodians. The State of California's record budget deficit projected to be more than $20 billion will cut funding for Oakland schools by millions of dollars in the current year alone, and State education funding is likely to be inadequate for the foreseeable future. Recent State budget cuts have forced the District to layoff over 600 teachers and school support staff. Without additional funding sources, the District cannot provide the same level of services and school salaries that neighboring school districts do, and we lose up to 300 teachers annually to other school districts and professions. The District wants to make compensation competitive with surrounding school districts to ensure that Oakland has the best prepared and most committed teachers and support staff. Support for Early Child Development is needed to meet children's essential academic and social needs, and ensure that every child is able to read at or above grade level. A parcel tax will generate local dollars for local Oakland schools for priorities decided by the Board of Education and not politicians in Sacramento. TERMS AND SUNSET Upon approval of two-thirds of those voting on this Oakland Student Achievement, Support and Safety Measure, the District shall be authorized to levy a qualified special tax (education parcel tax) at the annual rate of $195 per parcel of taxable real property for ten years commencing July 1,2011. PURPOSES In order to offset severe state budget cuts and create programs and policies to Improve student achievement and bring reading skills to or above grade level, and prepare students for college and careers, moneys raised under this Oakland Student Achievement, Support and Safety Measure shall be authorized to be used only in accordance with priorities established by the Board of Education to fund compensation: I. For teachers, in order to retain effective and skilled teaching staff to improve student achievement, and to fund teacher development to improve teacher performance 2. For student support staff, including teacher aides, early child development staff, attendance clerks, reading specialists, learning specialists, counselors and psychologists, to retain effective and skilled support staff to improve student achievement 3. For school-site health and safety staff, including nurses, school security officers, and custodians, to retain effective and skilled site support staff to improve student achievement. Education parcel tax proceeds shall be allocated to the authorized purposes in the following proportions: Eighty percent to increase compensation for effective teachers and school employees at District-run schools Fifteen percent to increase compensation for effective teachers and school employees in charter school programs Five percent to fund effective professional development in the first four years of employment (in District-run and charter schools). No education parcel tax proceeds shall be used to pay the salary of any District or Charter School senior management employees. LOW-INCOME TAXPAYER EXEMPTION An exemption from the education parcel tax shall be made for owners of singlefamily residential units in which the taxpayer resides and whose combined family income from all sources for the previous calendar year is at or below the income level qualifying as "very low income" for a family of such size under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, 42 U.S.c.A. Sections 1437 and following for each year. Owners must apply for this exemption annually by petition to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer of the District in the manner and at the time set forth in procedures established by the District. Such petitions shall be on forms available from the Chief Financial Officer's office and must provide information sufficient to verify income including, but not limited to, federal income tax returns and W -2 forms of owneroccupants. ACCOUNTABILITY PROVISIONS Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee. The Board of Education shall establish an independent Citizens' Oversight Committee (which may be the existing Measure G oversight committee) to review the Independent Annual Audit and other records of how moneys raised under this Measure have been spent in order to ensure that such moneys have been spent wisely and only for the purposes named in this Measure. The Board of Education shall provide by resolution for the composition, duties, funding and other necessary information regarding the Committee's formation and operation. Independent Annual Audit. Upon the levy and collection of the education parcel tax, the Board of Education shall cause an account to be established for deposit of the proceeds, pursuant to Government Code Section 50075.l. For so long as any proceeds remain unexpended, the Superintendent or the Chief Financial Officer of the District shall cause an independent financial auditor to prepare a report to be filed with the Board of Education no later than December 31 of each year, commencing December 31 , 2011, stating (1) the amount collected and expended in such year, and (2) the status of any projects or description of any programs funded. The cost of said Independent Audit may be paid from the proceeds of the parcel tax. The report may relate to the calendar year, fiscal year, or other appropriate annual period, as said officer shall determine, and may be incorporated into or filed with the annual budget, audit, or other appropriate routine report to the Board of Education. Specific Purposes. All of the purposes named in this Oakland Student Achievement, Support and Safety Measure shall constitute the specific purposes of the education parcel tax, and proceeds thereof shall be applied only for such purposes. SECURITY FROM STATE SEIZURE OR USE If, in any fiscal year during the term of the education parcel tax, the State Legislature or Governor shall approve any law or take any action the effect of which shall be to deprive the District of the benefit of any proceeds of the education parcel tax, whether by directly taking such proceeds for any State purpose or by taking such proceeds into account for purposes of calculating State support of the District under Section 8 of Article XVI or under any program of categorical aid, special aid or other special programs, then the Board of Education shall reduce the rate of the education parcel tax commensurately. LEVY AND COLLECTION The education parcel tax shall be collected by the Alameda 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. "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 Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector. "Parcel of taxable real property" shall exclude all parcels which are otherwise exempt from or on which are levied no ad valorem property taxes in any year, and all parcels which qualify for the low-income taxpayer exemption provided by this Oakland Student Achievement, Support and Safety Measure in any year. The District shall annually provide a list of parcels to the Alameda County Treasurer-Tax Collector which the District has approved for exemption in accordance with this Measure. Eligibility for the low-income taxpayer exemption shall be determined solely by the District, and any taxpayer wishing to challenge the District's determination, or claim a refund or reimbursement of taxes paid while eligible for the exemption, shall apply directly to the District. The Alameda County Assessor's determination of exemption or relief for any reason of any parcel of real property from taxation, other than through the low-income taxpayer exemption provided for herein, shall be final and binding for the purposes of the education parcel tax. Taxpayers wishing to challenge the County Assessor's determination must do so under the procedures for correcting a misclassification of property pursuant to Part 9 of Division 1 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code or other applicable procedures. Taxpayers seeking a refund of any tax paid shall follow the procedures applicable to property tax refunds pursuant to the California Revenue and Taxation Code. SEVERABILITY The Board of Education hereby declares, and the voters by approvmg this Oakland Student Achievement, Support and Safety Measure concur, that every section, paragraph, sentence and clause of this Measure has independent value, and the Board of Education 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 remain in full force and effect to the fullest extent allowed by law.