Facts about Measure W

On Tuesday, November 4, voters in the Davis Joint Unified School District will be asked to preserve classroom and educational programs by authorizing a District parcel tax. The amount per homeowner funded by this measure is $120 per year. Apartment owners will be assessed $50 per unit per year. The tax will last for three years, provides a voluntary exemption for those who are 65 or older, and requires review y a Citizen Oversight Committee. The parcel tax requires a two-thirds Davis voters majority for approval.

State Funds Will Not Support Existing Funding for Classroom Programs Available to Davis Students

For years, DJUSD has had less to spend on each child’s education than either the national or the state average. The state did not fully fund education in this current year budget. The District has stretched every dollar so that the District ranks among the best in the state in minimizing overhead. Recent actions by the DJUSD Board of Education will result in significant administrative cost savings in the future. To achieve success, DJUSD relies on extraordinary staff and parent support, an emphasis on efficient and cost-effective operations, and local taxes.

Davis: A Unique Tradition of Local Support

Davis has supported education through local parcel taxes since 1984. Prior measures in Davis have passed with 71% to 75% of the vote. This is a record shared with only a handful of districts in California.

Local Parcel Tax Money Supports Excellence in Davis Schools

Each school’s API score summarizes the accomplishment for its students, and all our schools are above the 800 score that signifies the statewide goal. Many of the classroom programs that make Davis schools unique are at risk without a funding source. Davis schools benefit from the availability of an additional 27 teachers to the district programs that support the academic experience of all our students. Approval of the parcel tax will allow the District to:

√ Preserve elementary science instruction;
√ Preserve availability of class periods for core science, math, English, and social sciences;
√ Preserve elementary music;
√ Preserve librarians at elementary and secondary schools;
√ Preserve secondary class size reduction for 9th and 10th grade English and math;
√ Preserve availability of class periods for foreign language, music and physical education and
√ Preserve athletics and co-curricular programs including drama, debate and journalism programs.

Measure W simply maintains and preserves existing academic programs. Many of these programs were rescued in the past year by a private community-wide fundraising drive led by the Davis Schools Foundation. This extraordinary fundraising effort provided one-time funds directly to Davis schools to avert deep program cuts and teacher lay-offs. The funds raised in this effort were for the 2008-09 academic year only. By contrast, Measure W would preserve school programs in the face of continued state funding cuts over the next three years. Without the funds that would be provided by Measure W, here will be both program and staff cuts next year.

A Senior Exemption Is Available

We welcome and appreciate the participation of our seniors, but we don’t want to place a burden on seniors on a limited income. A full exemption is available upon application to anyone 65 or older. Download a form at www.djusd.k12.ca.us/district/MeasureW/

Oversight Committee

The current Measure Q Citizen Oversight Committee will provide fiscal oversight of all funds raised by this measure. See the DJSUD website for a complete list.

Measure W: Your Questions Answered

When is Measure W on the ballot?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

Why did the Board of Education place this measure on the ballot?
Davis Schools will use Measure W to preserve existing classroom programs, including math, science, English, music, librarians, class size reduction, and athletics. School districts are faced with less than expected funding from the current state budget. This lack of funding severely limits the district’s ability to maintain existing classroom programs. The Board of Education therefore recommended a parcel tax to fund these programs over the next three years.

What will happen if Measure W does not pass on November 4, 2008?
If voters do not authorize the parcel tax, the school district will be forced to cut more than
$2 million from its annual budget. Every student in our schools will feel the impact of these cuts in reduction to programs, services and teaching staff.

Does this Measure fund new programs?
This Measure maintains and preserves programs currently funded by one-time funds raised by the community. It DOES NOT fund new programs.

How much will it cost?
The amount per homeowner assessed by Measure W is $120 per year. Put another way, it would amount to $10 per month per household.

I live in an apartment. Will I pay the tax?
You will not receive a bill for the parcel tax. Owners, not residents, of multi-unit dwellings will be levied $50 per unit annually.

Are all senior citizens exempt from the tax?
Yes. An exemption is available to anyone 65 and older when you fill out a brief application. We welcome and appreciate the participation of our seniors, but we don’t want to be a burden to seniors on a limited, fixed income. A full exemption is available to anyone 65 or older. Applications ill be available at the district office and on our website.

Is it true that DJUSD spends less per student than the state average?
If the Davis Joint Unified School District received the same attendance revenue per pupil as the Palo Alto school district, it could afford to hire approximately 310 extra teachers. The District has stretched every dollar so that our schools rank among the best in the state. To achieve success on its smaller budget, DJUSD relies on extraordinary staff and parent support, an emphasis on efficient and cost-effective operations and local parcel taxes.

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California campaign laws permit school districts to provide factual information about school funding ballot measures. School publications are not allowed to urge voters to vote either “yes” or “no” on any ballot measure.