League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Contra Costa County, CA May 6, 2014 Election
	Measure A Parcel Tax Extension Acalanes Union High School District Parcel Tax - 2/3 Approval Required Passed--greater than 2/3 voted yes Pass: 23,968 / 75.1% Yes votes ...... 7,947 / 24.9% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure A

Arguments Against Measure A

Without raising tax rates, Measure A will continue the local funding necessary to provide advanced core academic programs in math, science, technology, English, foreign language, and the arts, to prepare Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, and Walnut Creek high school students for college and 21st century careers. Measure A funds will be spent locally to benefit our high school students. No funds can be taken away by the State or used for other purposes. For over 20 years, our communities have generously supported our local high schools, by approving local revenue measures. Measure A will continue, without increase, the local funding voters have already approved to ensure that the quality of teaching and coursework will remain at the current high level. Measure A is essential to maintain our outstanding neighborhood schools. Acalanes Union High School District has consistently been the top-rated high school district in California. The strong academic achievement at our schools helps maintain high property values in the local communities served by Acalanes, Campolindo, Las Lomas and Miramonte High Schools. Measure A will provide vital funding to preserve: 􀁸 Advanced programs in math, science and technology 􀁸 The ability to attract and retain highly qualified teachers 􀁸 Funding for art and music programs 􀁸 Up-to-date classroom technology and instructional materials 􀁸 Safe, well-maintained schools 􀁸 Academic support services from librarians and counselors 􀁸 Manageable class sizes Measure A will continue reliable, stable funding to provide a comprehensive education to over 5,000 local students each year, without raising tax rates. All expenditures will be audited and monitored by an Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee. Senior citizens will be offered an exemption. Good schools help maintain the quality of life in our community. Please continue your support of local schools by voting Yes on Measure A. Ed Stokes, Owner, Diablo Foods, 44-year Lafayette resident Linda Landau, CPA, 2010 Orinda Citizen of the Year Paul Rosenzweig, Chairman, Audit Committee, Golden Rain Foundation(Rossmoor) Kathy Ranstrom, Attorney and Moraga Community Volunteer Robert Stankus, Business owner, 16-year Walnut Creek resident Rebuttal to Arguments For Politicians control our tax dollar's destiny. Our taxes support the lazy, corrupt lawyers who gravitated to the archaic courts and the primeval governments. There's an enormous staff to protect the overpaid lawyers from the public. Publicly funded lawyers keep overfilling California's prisons. This is merely named a school tax. Brainwashed volunteers will proselytize for a school tax. Not a legislature, court, judge, prosecutor, prison or unfunded pension liability tax. The legislature needs to change the tenure laws that reward fossils. Someone who's teaching at sloth's speed, makes more than an enthusiastic young teacher. How can that be good for education? Where's equal pay for equal work? Classroom lectures should be eliminated. Quality lectures should be videotaped and shown in the school's underused theaters. Location and lot size are all important for property values. They arrived long before schools became a realtor's selling point. Defeating this tax will not affect your property value, student's test scores or student's drug abuse. Public housing might affect property values. This money wasting special election is one month before the primary election. Will voters sleep through this earlier election? Public schools never teach the importance of local elections. Give yourself a pay raise. Vote against Sacramento's legislature robbing us. Your favorite school's funding is always diverted to subsidized public housing, bureaucrats and their fabulous pensions. Let the school's politicians and bureaucrats march to Sacramento for cost effective reform. End the consultant and union driven solicitations for higher taxes. Bruce R. Peterson, Private Citizen

Politicians foolishly squander our tax money on stupid projects, consultants and overpaid, arrogant administrators, then ask for more. What the public wants the most, is always on the ballot. It's usually schools and roads. Then public money is squandered on everything else, like water tunnels, city council chambers, public art and trains to nowhere. When will the foolish public wise up? The senior exemption is a trick to convince people to vote their neighbors and their own home's future owners, out of their money. Some seniors won't remember to apply, fill out, or return their exemption form. They will be gouged without mercy. Some seniors wanting media glory, file their exemption, then promote tax increases.. Propagandists use treacherous heirs, heiresses, and the corrupt media, to promote their cause. The wealthy and huge rental complexes are charged the same amount as the poorest person in the district. What's fair about that? Why don't these treacherous media darlings donate their own money to the schools and stop begging for donations to promote higher taxes. If voters ever wise up enough to vote against every tax that appears on the ballot, the bureaucracies will have to become more efficient. But no! They keep squandering money. Propagandists will do everything possible to convince people NOT to read this free fine print against their tax. They don't want anyone to actually think. They want everyone to do as they are told. Politicians never want people to ask questions. I can't find a news source that will write anything even slightly detrimental about the politicians or their parcel taxes. However you vote, it's 100% certain, the politicians and their media comrades will demand more money from you. Bruce R. Peterson, Private Citizen Rebuttal to Arguments Against Measure A is solely for the purpose of ensuring our high school students are prepared for college and 21st century careers. This is not for any politician, consultant or administration. It is for our local schools. For over 20 years, our communities have generously supported our local high schools by approving local revenue measures. Measure A funds will be spent locally. NO funds can be taken away by the state or used for other purposes. Measure A is essential to maintain our outstanding neighborhood schools. Acalanes Union High School District has consistently been the top-rated high school district in California. Measure A will provide vital funding to preserve: Advanced programs in math, science and technology The ability to attract and retain highly qualified teachers Funding for art and music programs Up-to date classroom technology and instructional materials Safe, well-maintained schools Academic support services from librarians and counselors Manageable class sizes. The strong academic achievement at our schools helps maintain high property values in the local communities served by Acalanes, Campolindo, Las Lomas, and Miramonte High Schools. All expenditures will be audited and monitored by an Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee. An exemption is available for senior home owners We all benefit from living in one of the best school districts in the State. Please vote Yes on A. Rick Cronk, Retired Business Owner, Active Community Leader Amy Worth, Orinda City Council Member Leonard Krauss, President, Rossmoor Computer Club Diana Obrand, Former Moraga Education Foundation President Tim Schultz, Parent, Past President, Walnut Creek Education Foundation

Full Text of Measure A

ACALANES UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT SUSTAIN EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE ACT OF 2014 This Proposition may be known and referred to as the "Acalanes Union High School District Sustain Educational Excellence Act of 2014" or as "Measure A". FINDINGS The Acalanes Union High School District (the "District"), comprising Acalanes High School, Campolindo High School, Las Lomas High School, Miramonte High School, and alternate high school programs, is one of the top-ranked high school districts in the State, and has been able to offer its students an outstanding educational opportunity for many years. Measure A, passed in 2010, expires in 2015, and the programs supported by Measure A will be at risk unless the District secures additional funding. Although the State Budget for 2013-14 and the proposed state budget for 2014-15 proposes to restore a portion of the funding for California high schools that was cut or deferred during the fiscal crisis, the new formula being used to distribute money to California high schools will not provide enough funding to offset the loss of revenue caused by Measure A's expiration. Extending Measure A will help the District preserve funding for advanced academic programs, including science, mathematics, technology, arts, and music; and maintain library hours. By renewing the District's current Measure A, local voters can ensure that our schools will continue to receive a stable, reliable, local source of funding. TERMS OF SUSTAIN EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE TAX Terms and Purposes. Upon approval of two-thirds of those voting on this Proposition, the District shall be authorized to levy a qualified special tax annually on each parcel of taxable real property in the District commencing July 1, 2015. The qualified special tax shall be known and referred to as the "Sustain Educational Excellence Tax." The amount of the Sustain Educational Excellence Tax shall be $112.00 per parcel per year. The Sustain Educational Excellence Tax shall renew the existing Measure A tax approved by the voters of the District on May 4, 2010, which expires by its own terms on June 30, 2015. Proceeds of the Sustain Educational Excellence Tax shall be authorized to be used to provide financial support to school programs, as follows: 1. Fund advanced courses in math, science, technology, music and the arts; 2. Attract and retain highly qualified teachers; 3. Keep textbooks and instructional materials up-to-date; 4. Maintain manageable class sizes; 5. Provide librarians, counselors, and career training; 6. Keep technology up-to-date; and 7. To the extent funds are available, to maintain the District's academic programs, including the purchase of instructional equipment, materials and supplies. SENIOR CITIZEN EXEMPTION In order to provide tax relief to senior citizens in the community, any parcel owned and occupied by a person 65 years of age or older shall be exempt from the Sustain Educational Excellence Tax upon proper application to the District. The exemption shall be available pursuant to procedures to be prescribed by the District's Governing Board or otherwise as required by law or by the Contra Costa County Tax Collector. Senior citizens with a current valid exemption from District's Emergency Education Act, also known as "Measure A," shall not be required to reapply for an exemption from the Sustain Educational Excellence Tax. ACCOUNTABILITY PROVISIONS Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee. The Governing Board shall establish an independent Citizens' Oversight Committee (which may be the existing Measure A oversight committee)to ensure that proceeds of the Sustain Educational Excellence Tax are spent wisely and only for the purposes named in this Proposition. The Governing Board shall provide by resolution for the composition, duties, funding and other necessary information regarding the Committee's formation and operation. Annual Report. Upon the levy and collection of the Sustain Educational Excellence Tax, the Governing Board shall cause an account to be established for the deposit of the proceeds, pursuant to Government Code Section 50075.1. For so long as any proceeds remain unexpended, the Superintendent or Associate Superintendent, Business Services of the District shall cause a report to be filed with the Governing Board no later than December 31 of each year, commencing December 31, 2016, stating (1) the amount collected and expended in such year, and (2) the status of any projects or description of any programs funded. 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 Governing Board. Specific Purposes. All of the purposes named in this Proposition shall constitute the specific purposes of the Sustain Educational Excellence Tax, and proceeds of the tax shall be applied only for such purposes. LEVY AND COLLECTION The Sustain Educational Excellence Tax shall be collected by the Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office. All property which is otherwise exempt from or on which are levied no ad valorem property taxes in any year shall also be exempt from the Sustain Educational Excellence Tax in such year. In addition, parcels may be exempt from the education parcel tax as described above under "SENIOR CITIZEN EXEMPTION". The District shall annually provide a list of parcels to the Contra Costa County tax collection officials which the District has approved for a Senior Citizen Exemption. The Contra Costa County Assessor's determination of exemption or relief for any reason of any parcel from taxation, other than through the Senior Citizen Exemption, shall be final and binding for the purposes of the Sustain Educational Excellence Tax. Taxpayers wishing to challenge the County Assessor's determination must do so under the procedures for correcting a misclassification of property pursuant to Section 4876.5 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code or other applicable procedures. Taxpayers seeking a refund of Sustain Educational Excellence Tax paid shall follow the procedures applicable to property tax refunds pursuant to the California Revenue and Taxation Code. SEVERABILITY The Governing Board hereby declares, and the voters by approving this Proposition concur, that every section, paragraph, sentence and clause of this Proposition has independent value, and the Governing Board and the voters would have adopted each provision hereof regardless of every other provision hereof. Upon approval of this Proposition 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.