Responses to Questions from:

By Rick Raushenbush

Piedmont Civic Association & Piedmont Patch

1. Taxation: The school parcel tax has increased at an annualized rate of 15% per year over the last 10 years and now represents 48% of the district's operating budget.

(a) A large disparity exists between the average school parcel tax for residents of Moraga (under $1,000 total K-12 assessments) versus Piedmont (averaging over $3,000). Both are excellent school districts. How would you address this disparity?

"A high-quality public education has been a cornerstone of American success and prosperity. I am proud to live in Piedmont, where the vast majority of voters repeatedly have endorsed the value of education by approving significant parcel taxes that are fundamental to the District's budget. The school parcel tax reflects what Piedmont, as a community, wants in its schools.

Parcel tax amounts vary among districts, depending upon voters' willingness to approve them, each district's need for local funding, the educational program the community desires, and the number of residential and commercial parcels. Piedmont residents' willingness to pay parcel taxes for the school system is fundamental to the District's excellent academic program. Parcel taxes account for 32% of the District's 2011-12 General Fund Budget (not 48% as stated in the Question). There is also no doubt that parcel taxes have increased over the past decade, though the Measure E emergency parcel tax expires in 2012. In addition, Parents' Clubs and Piedmont Educational Foundation donations to the District have significantly increased. As a result, during a time when per pupil education spending in California has fallen to near the bottom in the nation; Piedmont schools provide an educational program ranked near the top in the nation.

So, why are Piedmont's school parcel taxes higher than Moraga's parcel taxes? This is simply another way of asking why Piedmont schools cost more than Moraga's schools. Some reasons, based on EdSource data, appear to be: (a) Moraga is a K-8 school system, which costs less to operate than a K-12 school system; (b) although Moraga has a higher starting teacher salary than Piedmont, Piedmont teachers have more years of teaching experience than teachers in Moraga, and Piedmont pays experienced teachers more; (c) Piedmont employs a higher percentage of credentialed teachers; and (d) Piedmont has smaller class sizes than Moraga. Other reasons may be that Moraga has more parcels (including commercial parcels) paying parcel taxes than Piedmont or that Piedmont has more students requiring special education and/or other support services. Although further research could be done to compare PUSD with other districts, the real question is whether PUSD's costs could be reduced without harming the educational program. Over the past four years, the Board, and the Budget Advisory Committee and Parcel Tax Committee, have looked for ways to reduce costs. Although we will continue to look, with 90% of the District's expense being compensation, cost reduction means cuts in compensation (which we have done) and/or reduction in personnel (which we also have done), which in turn impacts class sizes and adult to student ratios."

(b) Do you support further increases in the parcel tax?

"I support the Board's Guiding Principles for Multi-Year Budget Development, which provide, among other things: "Over the long term, stabilize the local taxpayers' share (percentage) of funding the District`s budget by reducing the growth rate of local parcel taxes." Right now, we are dealing with a 20% cut in State funding. Federal stimulus funds and the Measure E emergency parcel tax, which filled some of the gap, are gone. The Board's tools for dealing with budget deficits are limited to:

• Parcel taxes and any increases authorized by voters;
• Soliciting donations from Parents' Clubs and the Piedmont Educational Foundation;
• Employee compensation cuts; and
• Reductions in personnel costs by reducing personnel.

(c) Many school districts provide an exemption to residents 65 or older. Do you think Piedmont residents 65 and older should be able to opt out of the tax?

"I would not support exempting homeowners 65 or older from the school parcel tax for several reasons.

• Most of us benefited from a good public education paid for by other homeowners when we were young and, in my opinion, we have a moral obligation to pay for a good education for our community's children. An educated citizenry benefits us all.

• A "senior exemption" would exempt a large percentage of homeowners from paying the parcel tax, either leaving the remaining homeowners to contribute the lost revenue or effectively forcing the District to lay off a significant number of employees and increase class sizes dramatically.

• All of us benefit from the higher property values in Piedmont that result from the excellent schools here.

• To the extent the request for an exemption is based on the possibility that older homeowners are less able to afford parcel taxes, age does not necessarily correlate with less wealth. If there are a significant number of homeowners in Piedmont unable to afford parcel taxes, I would prefer to address that directly through consideration of an exemption based on an inability to pay."

"The Board and I already have demonstrated leadership and initiative in managing severe cuts of approximately 20% in State funding since 2008. Through additional community giving (parcel taxes and donations), cuts in employee compensation, and some reduction in personnel, the District has sustained and improved it excellent educational program despite a loss of revenue. This has been possible only through the combined efforts and sacrifice by the community, parents, employees and students.

As a member of the Board, I participated in developing the District's efforts to educate its employees about the budget crisis and the District's negotiating positions with its employee groups. In Spring 2011, the Board approved agreements with all employees that continued furlough days, froze various stipends and, most importantly, capped the District's contributions to employees' health insurance benefits. These agreements reduced the District's budget by at least $3.9 million over the three school years from 2011 to 2014. I am proud and greatly appreciate that an overwhelming majority of PUSD employees recognized the District's need for these painful cuts in their compensation and voluntarily accepted them to avoid major cuts in the District's educational program.

As a result of careful financial stewardship, the District is not faced with the need to make any significant cuts in the next 12 months. The District faces two significant issues in the coming years. First, because State funding cuts continue, the District is projected to spend more than the revenues it receives over the next three years, with the balance coming from reserves. If the State's economy revives, or proposed ballot initiatives pass, we should be fine. If not, more difficult decisions will be required. Second, over the long term and only after State funding has stabilized, we need to develop a sustainable budget where expected expenditures roughly equal expected revenues. I expect to continue to lead discussions about how best to sustain our excellent academic program with the financial resources available."

3. How do you see the city and school district working together to solve problems during the next 4 years? Please provide specific examples.

"The District and the City have a long history of working together for the benefit of Piedmont's citizens. The City Recreation Department runs the wonderful Schoolmates program at school sites. The City Recreation Department runs programs at District athletic facilities and the District uses City tennis courts and the pool for high school athletics. The District provides schooling for a number of City employees' children and the City contributes funding for a teacher. The City contributed a portion of the cost for the new Becker Field at Havens School.

Over the next year, I hope that the District and the City will address two issues. First, to maintain the District's athletic facilities for the use of all Piedmont residents, we need to set aside money to replace certain facilities as they wear out, including but not limited to the Witter Field artificial turf and track. This must be a community effort, with City involvement. Second, we need the help of the City Police Department to enforce traffic laws at the El Cerrito Avenue exit from a District parking lot and to enforce the District's permit requirement for organized weekend use of the District's athletic facilities."

4. Open Enrollment: The Romero Bill has recently been enacted allowing out-of-district students to transfer to the Piedmont school district from low-performing schools. Acceptance is automatic if capacity is available. What criteria and prioritization for enrollment in the Piedmont Unified School District should be given to the following groups: children of District employees, children of City employees, grandchildren of residents, students from under-performing schools?

"Because this question relates to the inter-district transfer issue currently before the Board, I cannot take a firm position on this issue until after receiving additional information from staff and hearing public input and Board discussion. However, speaking only for myself, and not for the Board, I can make the following observations.

The District's legal obligation, and foremost responsibility, is to serve the children residing in our District. Under the Romero Bill, students in identified low-performing schools may apply to a higher-performing school district, which must accept them if there is available capacity for additional students and it will not have an adverse financial impact. Under state law, currently-enrolled students have priority over students applying under the Romero Bill, but otherwise students applying under the Romero Bill have priority over all non-resident students. Under the Allen Bill, children of both District and City employees who are currently enrolled in Piedmont schools are legally entitled to remain there until graduation so long as a parent is employed in Piedmont.

PUSD's "capacity" is determined not only by physical capacity, but by staffing ratios set in the District's Guidelines for Enrollment Capacity. The Guidelines reflect the District's conclusion that lower class sizes help provide a high quality educational program. A portion of local parcel tax revenue is designated for "maintaining small sizes."

According to staff, "empty seats" do not exist in enough existing classes for additional students to complete the required K-12 curriculum within our existing Capacity Guidelines. To add more students, the Board would have to either: (a) change our Capacity Guidelines to increase class sizes or (b) find both physical space and funding to add classes and teachers. Increasing class size is contrary to staff's educational recommendation and, at the least, would require considerable public discussion. As for physical capacity, there is none at the elementary schools and it is uncertain if there is sufficient physical capacity at PMS or PHS. Finally, even assuming physical capacity, the major cuts in State funding require the Board to carefully assess the risk of potential shortfalls in funding the necessary educational services for additional students.

I strongly support every student having access to a high quality public education, such as that offered by PUSD. However, expanding capacity to serve out-of-district students must not degrade our District's educational and fiscal ability to serve resident students."

5. Employee compensation: Approximately 130 children of School District employees attend Piedmont Schools. How is the privilege of enrolling employee children factored into the compensation packages of employees?

"PUSD attracts teachers and other educational staff through a package including salary, benefits, working conditions, and the ability to have their children attend school within the District. Depending upon where they live, whether they have children, and the ages of any children, PUSD employees likely place differing value on the opportunity to have their children attend District schools. Many top school districts, which compete with PUSD for talented teachers, offer a similar benefit. Having educators' children in District schools benefits all students as it provides educators with a personal, as well as professional, interest in our school system's academic excellence and educational programs."

6. What are the most significant issues facing PUSD over the next 2 to 5 years?

"The most important issues for the District are: (a) to maintain and improve the District's excellent educational program; and (b) develop a sustainable, long-term, budget.

The District provides its students with an outstanding education and is ranked one of best school districts in California. To maintain and improve the student experience, the District fosters a culture of growth and "continuous improvement." As part of that effort, the Board formed an Evaluation Committee as part of labor negotiations last Spring. The Evaluation Committee, which includes teachers and administrators, developed a new evaluation process that is being piloted this year and will be implemented next year. In the new evaluation process, teachers are visiting other colleague's classrooms to reflect on different teaching methods and reviewing student data to determine which methods are most effective for individual students. This year, the Evaluation Committee is addressing how to help teachers hone and improve their teaching methods to achieve better results in student learning. Teacher evaluation is necessary, but has become a contentious issue in many school districts. Careful implementation of a thoughtful evaluation process to identify best practices and to support professional growth focused on student learning, can and will garner the support of the District's teachers, as shown by the Evaluation Committee and high teacher participation rates in the new process. I look forward to continuing to work on this issue over the coming years.

As discussed in response to other questions, sustaining the District's educational program in the face of State funding cuts will continue to be a major issue until California's economy recovers or California decides to devote more resources to educating its children. The new Board will need to address projected deficit spending before reserves are depleted, which will require assessing when State funding will return. In the longer run, as State funding stabilizes, the Board will need to develop a sustainable budget model where expected expenditures roughly equal expected revenues."

PIEDMONT PATCH QUESTIONS & RESPONSES:

1. The Piedmont Unified School District will face major financial challenges in the next few years. What, specifically, in your background qualifies you to deal with fiscal issues?

"Over my past four years on the Board of Education, I have demonstrated my qualifications to address fiscal issues through careful analysis of our revenues and expenses, assessment of risks, professional review of District contracts, and a willingness to make difficult decisions. As a Board, we have managed severe cuts of approximately 20% in State funding since 2008. Through additional community giving (parcel taxes and donations), cuts in employee compensation, and limited reduction in personnel, the District has sustained and improved its excellent educational program despite a significant loss of revenue. This has been possible only through the combined efforts and sacrifice by the community, parents, employees and students.

As a Board member, I helped develop the District's efforts to educate employees and the community about the budget crisis, and set the District's negotiating positions with its employee groups. In Spring 2011, the Board approved agreements with all employees that continued furlough days, froze various stipends and, most importantly, capped the District's contributions to employees' health insurance benefits. These agreements reduced the District's projected budget by at least $3.9 million over the three school years from 2011 to 2014. I greatly appreciate that an overwhelming majority of PUSD employees recognized the District's need for these painful cuts in their compensation and voluntarily accepted them to avoid major cuts in the District's educational program.

As a result of careful financial stewardship, it is anticipated that the District will not need to make any major cuts in the next 12 months. The District still faces two significant financial challenges. First, because of the magnitude of recent State funding cuts, the District is projected to spend more than the revenues it receives over the next three years. If the Governor's tax initiative passes and the State's economy improves, the District should get by. If it does not, further sacrifice will be required by everyone. Second, over the long term and only after State funding has stabilized, we need to develop a sustainable budget where expected expenditures roughly equal expected revenues. If re-elected, I look forward to working with the new Board and leading discussions about how best to sustain our excellent academic program with the financial resources available."

2. Would you support a full or partial exemption from the parcel tax for seniors citizens or lower-income families?

"A high-quality public education has been a cornerstone of American success and prosperity. I am proud to live in Piedmont, where the vast majority of voters repeatedly have endorsed the value of education by approving significant parcel taxes that are fundamental to the District's budget. The school parcel tax reflects what Piedmont, as a community, wants in its schools.

Piedmont residents' willingness to pay parcel taxes for the school system is fundamental to the District's excellent academic program. Parcel taxes account for 32% of the District's 2011-12 General Fund Budget, and there is no other source that could replace them. I support the Board's Guiding Principles for Multi-Year Budget Development, which provide, among other things: "Over the long term, stabilize the local taxpayers' share (percentage) of funding the District`s budget by reducing the growth rate of local parcel taxes." In the short term, we are dealing with a 20% cut in State funding. Federal stimulus funds and the Measure E emergency parcel tax, which filled some of the gap, are gone.

I would not support exempting homeowners 65 or older from the school parcel tax for several reasons.

a) Most of us benefited from a good public education paid for by other homeowners when we were young and, in my opinion, we have a moral obligation to pay for a good education for our community's children. An educated citizenry benefits us all.

b) A "senior exemption" would exempt a large percentage of homeowners from paying the parcel tax, either leaving the remaining homeowners to contribute the lost revenue or effectively forcing the District to lay off a significant number of employees and increase class sizes dramatically.

c) All of us benefit from the higher property values in Piedmont that result from the excellent schools here.

d) To the extent the request for an exemption is based on the possibility that older homeowners are less able to afford parcel taxes, age does not necessarily correlate with less wealth. If there are a significant number of homeowners in Piedmont unable to afford parcel taxes, I would prefer to address that directly through consideration of an exemption based on an inability to pay, to the extent allowed by law."

3. Piedmont students performed well on the most recent statewide physical fitness tests, but not as well as the previous year. Girls, especially, show a marked drop in some fitness scores as they get older. Should the district address this, and if so, how?

"Everyone should be concerned about the fitness of our nation's children. Most of Piedmont's students perform very well in statewide physical fitness tests. Specific results vary from year to year as the students tested change. The District provides a physical education program that not only provides opportunities for exercise, but also education in the importance of exercise and good nutrition. The District has improved the foods offered to its students in an effort to improve nutrition and eating habits. The District also provides a wide range of sports activities and a majority of students participate in one or more sports by middle school and high school. Each student, and family, must also assume personal responsibility to maintain and increase one's health and fitness."

4. Parent Clubs have pledged an additional $100 per student in donations to the district this year. Do you think the district has reached the limit in terms of what it can expect in parent contributions?

"Piedmont's Parent Clubs long have been extraordinarily generous and consistent supporters of Piedmont students, funding a variety of services at Piedmont schools, both through direct contributions to the District's General Fund and reimbursement of the District for specific programs and personnel. Moreover, the Parent Clubs and Piedmont Educational Foundation have been and are ready each year to help the District advance specific annual goals and priorities. Most recently, they have committed funds to redeem furlough days and to advance the teacher evaluation process through funding of a professional development day.

This year, the Parent Clubs agreed to increase their "direct per pupil" contribution to the District from $200 per student to $300 per student, which increased their total contribution to the District's General Fund to approximately $750,000 per year. I am grateful to the Parents Club for committing the additional $250,000 per year to the District as it allows the Board to count on such funds when making difficult decisions on how to meet budget demands. Please note that the total donations from parents, including Parents Clubs funding of certain personnel and programs, the Piedmont Education Foundation grants, and individuals' and organizations direct donations to specific program, are much greater than the amount committed to the District. The District now "expects" and budgets for $1.55 million in such donations annually.

I am impressed and gratified by the willingness of parents to make such contributions on top of the parcel taxes that they also pay toward the education of our community's children. During this time of budgetary crisis, parents have dug deeper and deeper into their pockets to maintain Piedmont's educational program. I hope that we all will remain willing to do so until California is willing and able to increase its education funding from its current position of 49th in the nation."