Davis Joint Unified School District

How are Davis Joint Unified School District schools doing?
Thanks to talented educators and challenging academic programs, Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD) provides a well-rounded education to approximately 8,500 students over 16 school sites and campuses.

How are DJUSD schools funded?
Schools are funded by a combination of sources. For forty years, our community schools have relied on locally controlled parcel tax funding to provide a high-quality education to our students and support our teachers. Local parcel tax funding accounts for 9% of the District’s budget.

How has local funding supported our schools?
Parcel taxes have helped DJUSD retain high-performing teachers, support quality academics, protect art and music programs, and maintain library services. This source of funding is set to expire in July 2025 and would require voter approval in order to be renewed.

What programs and services are specifically funded through the current Measure H parcel tax, and how are those dollars divided?
The DJUSD Citizens’ Oversight Committee has reviewed past spending of parcel tax funding and has found that DJUSD has spent all its funds on voter-approved programs. The following images are from the 2023 Oversight Committee Report and provide information about parcel tax dollars spent by category.



View the full 2023 Parcel Tax Oversight Committee Report 

What happens if local school funding expires?
If parcel tax funding expires, our schools would lose nearly $12 million per year. This loss of funds could potentially lead to teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, and cuts to academic programs and services.

Does the District have a plan to renew expiring parcel tax funding?
On November 2, the DJUSD Board of Trustees voted to place a parcel tax renewal measure, Measure N, on the March 5, 2024 ballot. Measure N would not be a new tax but would instead renew and replace the existing Measure H parcel tax at the current rate of $768 per year, raising approximately $11.7 million per year until ended by voters, beginning in July 2024.

How exactly would Measure N support DJUSD schools and students?

Locally controlled parcel tax funding from Measure N would continue to be used to:

• Attract and retain high-performing teachers and educational staff
  
• Sustain outstanding academics in science, technology, engineering, math, reading and writing
  
• Maintain library services
  
• Limit class sizes
  
• Protect art, music, world language, career technical education, AP courses and other electives
  
• Sustain athletics and co-curricular programs such as robotics, journalism, theatre and debate
  
• Promote student safety and physical and mental health
  
• Provide teacher training, resources and classroom support
  

Would fiscal accountability provisions be included in Measure N?

Measure N continues the same fiscal accountability provisions already in place, including:

• All revenue would be spent in local schools and could not be taken away by the state
  
• Exemptions for seniors and residents with disabilities would continue with no reapprovals necessary
  
• A citizens’ oversight committee’s annual audits would be required
  
• No funds could be used for contract management salaries
  

I heard that many students enrolled in DJUSD do not live in town. Why is this?

There are a few categories of non-resident students who are enrolled in DJUSD. The technical term for non-resident students enrolled in Davis schools is “interdistrict transfer students.”

An Interdistrict Transfer (IDT) is an agreement between districts when parents/legal guardians wish to enroll their student at a school outside of the district in which they reside.  

1. Resident by Employment Transfers
2. Interdistrict Transfers without an employment connection

DJUSD is required to accept Interdistrict Transfers for students who meet the Resident by Employment standard in Ed. Code 48204, if space is available in the requested grade, school, or program. This code states that students whose parents work in Davis for at least 10 hours per week are considered residents by employment and therefore may be accepted into the school district, if space is available.  Under this Education Code, they can only be denied admittance into the district under certain circumstances, including if we are at capacity at the requested school site, grade level or program. In addition, once a student is accepted as a resident by employment, the IDT cannot be revoked in future years, even if overcrowding does occur.  

Of our current interdistrict transfer requests, 63% are by reason of employment.

Of the IDTs without an employment connection, 79% are students who have already been in the district—i.e. a continuing non-resident student in this category or a student who recently moved out of the school district boundary. Usually it is the case where a student started their education by living in Davis and then for a variety of reasons, their families moved outside the district.  Since the student is our current student, we honor their ability to remain in the district from year to year.  

While numbers may change throughout the year because of enrollment, here is how they break down:

• Of the total 1046 non-resident students, about 92% were either: 1)  a “resident by employment transfer”- ie- legally required by California Ed Code to be accepted by DJUSD, if space is available,  2) an IDT not connected to employment but who is a continuing DJUSD student from the previous year, or 3) a student who was a Davis resident, but who recently moved out of boundary and is a new IDT, not connected by employment.

• 172 students this year (16% of total non-resident students) were brand new students to DJUSD and were approved as IDTs (both by employment and without employment connection); these numbers are spread out over 13 grades at 15 school sites.

Inter District Transfers in DJUSD by year (note these numbers do no include students at Da Vinci Charter Academy):
2019-20 (*COVID)-734
2020-21:796
2021-22: 915
2022-23: 994
2023-24- 1,046

LCFF Funding Regional Comparison per Student (Source: Ed-Data 2021-22)


In 2015-16, just two years into the LCFF implementation, the DJUSD total funding per pupil from all revenue sources (including parcel taxes) was 95% of the state average for unified districts. This percentage has continued to decrease in proportion to the state average and was 93% in 2021-22 for all funding sources.

DJUSD operates with economies of scale. Each open seat in a classroom is already supported by a teacher, principal and various support staff.  If we are able to provide a seat to a qualified inter-district transfer student, we will receive $10,000 more dollars in the General Fund. This phenomenon is like filling the seats on a plane which is already set to depart. If you divide the total non-resident students by 14 grades (TK-12), there are approximately 71 students in any grade (give or take), which means at an elementary school there are three students in any given classroom. If you remove 9-10 students from a grade level, the class will still run, just less efficiently. 

It is true that the number of non-resident students has grown over the past two decades as Davis (along with districts across the state) has experienced declining enrollment. According to a 2020 California Schools Services analysis (image below), as Declining Enrollment reduces a school district’s revenue, only 36% of the costs associated with that revenue can be reduced and still meet our mandates. This reality increases pressure on the budget and likely leads to cuts in programs for the remaining students to balance the budget. 

To illustrate this in another way,  here is a simplified explanation:

Currently, DJUSD has approximately 1,000 non-resident students enrolled, many who have been with the district for years. For the sake of round numbers, let’s assume that 1,000 students receive $10,000 each through state funding. (Remember, the state and federal government do not differentiate whether a student lives within district boundaries.) 

If they were to be disenrolled at this time, DJUSD would lose $10 million in state funding.  Using a 25:1 student to teacher ratio, 1,000 students would require about 40 teachers; if those teachers (average cost  $80,000/FTE)  were eliminated, that would be a savings of $3.2 million. If you could close one elementary school and eliminate the cost of one school principal and support staff, that would equate to close to $500,000. If you closed two elementary schools - that is one million dollars, which means you are still $5.8 million short of the $10 million you need to recuperate.  That $5 million+/- would need to be taken from the General Fund that would be (in this scenario) exclusively supporting resident students’ schools and programs. In addition, we would spend millions of dollars updating our remaining schools to house more students.

In sum, DJUSD enrollment has declined by nearly 300 students since 2017-18 (as outlined in the chart below), and we have continued to make related reductions in expenditures, of more than $3 million over the course of that period. If our overall enrollment continues to decline we will, like many districts throughout the state, make the requisite reductions over time. 

Can you Explain Who Pays the Parcel Tax?
The Parcel Tax is a community tax for all property owners in Davis. People and businesses that own parcels pay the tax. People and businesses that rent do not pay the tax. Note, there are exemptions available for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
This means:     

• People who live in Davis and own their own home pay the parcel tax 
  
• People  in Davis who are apartment dwellers or those living in student housing do not pay the Parcel Tax.
  
• Parcel taxes are not paid by people who live out of boundary
  
  

How much would Measure N cost?
If approved, the measure would renew the existing parcel tax at the current rate of $768 per year with annual cost-of-living adjustments, raising approximately $11.7 million per year until ended by voters.

Has past voter-approved funding been spent as intended?
Yes. The DJUSD Citizens’ Oversight Committee has reviewed past spending of parcel tax funding and has found that DJUSD has spent all its funds on voter-approved programs. To view past reports from the oversight committee, visit our Business Services website.

Would senior citizen homeowners be exempt from Measure N?
Yes. Senior citizen homeowners would continue to be eligible for an exemption from the cost of Measure N, as would residents with disabilities. Current exemptions need not reapply. If you are eligible for an exemption but aren’t currently exempt, please visit our Tax Exemptions website to fill out an exemption form or contact Business Services at (530) 757-5300 ext. 122 or email [email protected].

Could any Measure N funding be taken or redirected by the State or other agencies?
No, all funds from Measure N would benefit local schools in Davis only. No funds could be taken by the state or used for any purpose other than supporting DJUSD schools.

I don’t have children attending local schools. How would Measure N impact me?
Even if you don’t have children attending community schools, quality local schools keep our community and property values strong. In fact, parents and community members alike say they choose to live in Davis because of the local schools.

How can I learn more about Measure N and share my thoughts?
For more information about parcel tax funding and the plan to renew it, please visit our Parcel Tax website. If you have any questions or input that you would like to share, please contact [email protected].

If approved, how long would Measure N be in place?
If approved, Measure N on the March 5, 2024 ballot would make this funding source a permanent fixture in the operating budget to continue to provide excellent academics and quality teachers. As currently structured, this source of funding requires the District to plan for deep cuts to school programs and teacher layoffs every few years.

¿Cómo les va a las escuelas del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Davis?
Gracias a educadores talentosos y programas académicos desafiantes, el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Davis (DJUSD) brinda una educación integral a aproximadamente 8,500 estudiantes en 16 escuelas y campus.

¿Cómo se financian las escuelas del DJUSD?
Durante cuarenta años, nuestras escuelas comunitarias han dependido de los fondos de impuestos sobre prediales controlados localmente para proporcionar una educación de alta calidad a nuestros estudiantes y apoyar a nuestros maestros. Los fondos del impuesto local predial representan el 9% del presupuesto del Distrito.

¿Cómo ha apoyado el financiamiento local a nuestras escuelas?
Los fondos locales han ayudado al DJUSD a retener maestros eficientes, apoyar a académicos de calidad, proteger los programas de arte y música, y mantener los servicios de biblioteca. Esta fuente de financiamiento vencerá en julio de 2025 y va a requerir la aprobación de los votantes para ser renovada.

¿Cuáles programas y servicios son específicamente financiados por el impuesto predial Medida H, y cómo se reparten esos dólares?
El comité de supervisor de ciudadanos de DJUSD ha revisado los gastos pasados de fondos de impuestos prediales y ha encontrado que el DJUSD ha gastado todos sus fondos en programas aprobados por los votantes. Las siguientes imágenes son del informe del comité de supervisor y entrega información, por categoría, sobre los dólares del impuesto predial gastados.



Vea el Informe completo del Comité de Supervisión del Impuesto Predial de 2023

¿Qué sucede si vence el financiamiento de las escuelas locales?
Si esta fuente de financiamiento controlado localmente expira, nuestras escuelas perderían casi $12 millones por año. Esta pérdida de fondos podría conducir a despidos de maestros, clases más grandes y grandes recortes en programas y servicios académicos que han existido por mucho tiempo.

¿Tiene el Distrito un plan para renovar los fondos del impuesto predial que vencen?
La Junta Directiva del DJUSD está considerando colocar una medida en la boleta electoral en 2024 para renovar esta fuente de financiamiento que vence. Si bien no se han tomado decisiones definitivas, la medida que se está considerando actualmente no sería un nuevo impuesto. En su lugar, renovaría y reemplazaría el impuesto predial existente a la tasa actual de $768 por año, recaudando aproximadamente $11.7 millones por año hasta que los votantes lo terminen, a partir de julio de 2024.

¿Cómo apoyaría exactamente una medida de renovación del impuesto predial a las escuelas y estudiantes del DJUSD?
Los fondos del impuesto predial controlado localmente seguirían utilizándose para:

• Atraer y retener a docentes y personal educativo eficiente
  
• Apoyar a académicos destacados en ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería, matemáticas, lectura y escritura
  
• Mantener los servicios de biblioteca
  
• Limitar el tamaño de las clases
  
• Proteger el arte, la música, los idiomas del mundo, la educación técnica profesional, los cursos AP y otras materias optativas
  
• Mantener el atletismo y los programas co-curriculares como robótica, periodismo, teatro y debate
  
• Promover la seguridad y el bienestar social, emocional, físico y mental
  
• Proporcionar capacitación a los maestros, recursos y apoyo en el aula
  

¿Se incluirían disposiciones de responsabilidad fiscal en la renovación de la medida?
Cualquier medida de financiamiento local incluiría requisitos de responsabilidad fiscal, que incluyen:

• Todos los ingresos se gastarían en las escuelas locales y no podrían ser retirados por el Estado
  
• Continuación de las exenciones para personas mayores y residentes con discapacidades sin necesidad de ser aprobados nuevamente
  
• Se requerirían auditorías anuales de un comité de supervisión ciudadana
  
• No se podían utilizar fondos para contratos de salarios de gestión.
  

¿Cuánto costaría una posible renovación de medida?
Si bien no se ha tomado una decisión final, la Junta Escolar del DJUSD está considerando renovar el impuesto predial existente a la tasa actual de $768 por año con ajustes anuales, recaudando aproximadamente $11.7 millones por año hasta que los votantes lo terminen.

¿Se han gastado los fondos aprobados por los votantes en el pasado según lo previsto?
Sí. El Comité de Supervisión Ciudadana del DJUSD ha revisado los gastos anteriores de los fondos del impuesto predial y ha encontrado que DJUSD ha gastado todos sus fondos en programas aprobados por los votantes. Para ver los informes anteriores del comité de supervisión, visite el sitio web.

¿Estarían exentos del costo los propietarios de viviendas de la tercera edad?
Sí. Los propietarios de viviendas de la tercera edad seguirían siendo elegibles para una exención del costo de la medida, al igual que los residentes con discapacidades. No es necesario volver a aplicar para las exenciones actuales. Si es elegible para una exención, pero actualmente no está exento, visite el sitio web para completar un formulario de exención o comuníquese al (530) 757-5300 ext. 122 o envíe un correo electrónico a [email protected].

¿Podría el Estado u otras agencias tomar o redirigir parte de estos fondos?
No, todos los fondos de la posible medida beneficiarían solo a las escuelas locales de Davis. El estado no puede tomar fondos ni utilizarlos para otros fines que no sean el apoyo a las escuelas del DJUSD.

No tengo hijos que asistan a escuelas locales. ¿Cómo me afectaría esta medida?
Aunque no tenga hijos que asistan a escuelas comunitarias, las escuelas locales de calidad mantienen fuertes los valores de nuestra comunidad y de la propiedad. De hecho, tanto los padres como los miembros de la comunidad dicen que eligen vivir en Davis debido a las escuelas locales.

¿Cómo puedo obtener más información sobre la medida y compartir mis pensamientos?
Para obtener más información sobre el financiamiento del impuesto predial y el plan para renovarlo, visite https://www.djusd.net/parceltax. Si tiene alguna pregunta o aporte que le gustaría compartir, comuníquese con [email protected].

De aprobarse, ¿cuánto tiempo estaría vigente la medida?
Actualmente, el Distrito está explorando opciones de renovación que harían de esta fuente de financiamiento un elemento permanente en el presupuesto operativo para continuar proporcionando excelentes académicos y maestros de calidad. Tal como está estructurada actualmente, esta fuente de financiamiento requiere que el Distrito planifique recortes profundos a los programas escolares y despidos de maestros cada pocos años.

Q: I heard that many students enrolled in DJUSD do not live in town. Why is this?
A: There are a few categories of non-resident students who are enrolled in DJUSD. The technical term for non-resident students enrolled in Davis schools is “interdistrict transfer students.”

An Interdistrict Transfer (IDT) is an agreement between districts when parents/legal guardians wish to enroll their student at a school outside of the district in which they reside.

There are two types of agreements that are collectively tracked as IDTs:

1. Resident by Employment Transfers
   
2. Interdistrict Transfers without an employment connection
   

DJUSD is required to accept Interdistrict Transfers for students who meet the Resident by Employment standard in Ed. Code 48204, if space is available in the requested grade, school, or program. This code states that students whose parents work in Davis for at least 10 hours per week are considered residents by employment and therefore may be accepted into the school district, if space is available. Under this Education Code, they can only be denied admittance into the district under certain circumstances, including if we are at capacity at the requested school site, grade level or program. In addition, once a student is accepted as a resident by employment, the IDT cannot be revoked in future years, even if overcrowding does occur.

Of our current interdistrict transfer requests, 63% are by reason of employment.

Of the IDTs without an employment connection, 79% are students who have already been in the district—i.e. a continuing non-resident student in this category or a student who recently moved out of the school district boundary. Usually it is the case where a student started their education by living in Davis and then for a variety of reasons, their families moved outside the district. Since the student is our current student, we honor their ability to remain in the district from year to year.

While numbers may change throughout the year because of enrollment, here is how they break down:

• Of the total 1046 non-resident students, about 92% were either: 1) a “resident by employment transfer”- ie- legally required by California Ed Code to be accepted by DJUSD, if space is available, 2) an IDT not connected to employment but who is a continuing DJUSD student from the previous year, or 3) a student who was a Davis resident, but who recently moved out of boundary and is a new IDT, not connected by employment.
• 172 students this year (16% of total non-resident students) were brand new students to DJUSD and were approved as IDTs (both by employment and without employment connection); these numbers are spread out over 13 grades at 15 school sites.
  

Q: Are the number of Non-Resident Students Increasing in Davis?
A: The number of non-resident students or Interdistrict Transfer students (IDTs) for DJUSD has increased over time. This is largely due to the number of current students with families who have chosen to purchase homes in neighboring communities, but who want their children to remain part of our school community. DJUSD is fortunate to have a wait list with IDT applicants who can fill open seats in our schools.

In 2023, the number of non-resident students in DJUSD is 1,046 with only 172 brand new IDTs, of which 90 of those (52%) are by reason of employment and legally required to be accepted if space is available.

Enrolling non-resident students is more than a legal obligation. Even if non-residents do not pay parcel taxes, non-resident students help our district finances. A useful analogy is that we are running classes just like an airline is running a flight. The cost of a class is set and the best way to be cost efficient is to fill seats.

Below is data about our non-resident students over the past five years. Non-resident students are funded in exactly the same way as resident students – with state and federal funds. This means we receive the same amount of money for a student who lives in Woodland and attends a Davis public school that we do for a student who lives in the DJUSD boundary. The state and federal government do not differentiate whether a student lives within district boundaries.

Inter District Transfers in DJUSD by year (note these numbers do no include students at Da Vinci Charter Academy):
2019-20 (*COVID)-734
2020-21:796
2021-22: 915
2022-23: 994
2023-24- 1,046

Q: If the student population is declining, why doesn’t DJUSD close schools?
A: When thinking about our District’s funding model, it is first important to note that we receive most of our revenue under the equity-based Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) that exists for California public schools. DJUSD, like all districts, receives its allocation based on two factors: Enrollment and Attendance. When compared to districts in the region and across the state, DJUSD generally performs above average in attendance, but it has lower numbers of unduplicated students, defined as English Learners, Low Income students, Homeless Students or Foster Youth. As a result, DJUSD is one of the lowest-funded school Districts in the state.

Below are two graphs that show the LCFF funding percentage of the state average and the actual per pupil allocation for unified school districts in our region, of comparable size for the 2021-22 school year.

You will note that DJUSD is funded at 80% of the state average unified district (Graph 1) (not 80% of the highest funded district, but 80% of the average funded district in the state). Currently, there are only 37 unified districts in California (out of more than 1,000) funded less than DJUSD through the LCFF. (Graph 2)

If we look at total revenue, this would include federal, state, local, parcel tax funds, donations, etc.), DJUSD is funded at 88% of the state average unified district. (Graph 3).

Graph 1: LCFF Funding Regional Comparisons % of State Average (Source: Ed-Data 2021-22)



Graph 2: LCFF Funding Regional Comparison per Student (Source: Ed-Data 2021-22)



Graph 3: Total Revenue Regional Comparisons % of State Average (Source: Ed-Data 2021-22)



In 2015-16, just two years into the LCFF implementation, the DJUSD total funding per pupil from all revenue sources (including parcel taxes) was 95% of the state average for unified districts. This percentage has continued to decrease in proportion to the state average and was 93% in 2021-22 for all funding sources.

DJUSD operates with economies of scale. Each open seat in a classroom is already supported by a teacher, principal and various support staff. If we are able to provide a seat to a qualified inter-district transfer student, we will receive $10,000 more dollars in the General Fund. This phenomenon is like filling the seats on a plane which is already set to depart. If you divide the total non-resident students by 14 grades (TK-12), there are approximately 71 students in any grade (give or take), which means at an elementary school there are three students in any given classroom. If you remove 9-10 students from a grade level, the class will still run, just less efficiently.

It is true that the number of non-resident students has grown over the past two decades as Davis (along with districts across the state) has experienced declining enrollment. According to a 2020 California Schools Services analysis (image below), as Declining Enrollment reduces a school district’s revenue, only 36% of the costs associated with that revenue can be reduced and still meet our mandates. This reality increases pressure on the budget and likely leads to cuts in programs for the remaining students to balance the budget.

To illustrate this in another way, here is a simplified explanation:

Currently, DJUSD has approximately 1,000 non-resident students enrolled, many who have been with the district for years. For the sake of round numbers, let’s assume that 1,000 students receive $10,000 each through state funding. (Remember, the state and federal government do not differentiate whether a student lives within district boundaries.)

If they were to be disenrolled at this time, DJUSD would lose $10 million in state funding. Using a 25:1 student to teacher ratio, 1,000 students would require about 40 teachers; if those teachers (average cost $80,000/FTE) were eliminated, that would be a savings of $3.2 million. If you could close one elementary school and eliminate the cost of one school principal and support staff, that would equate to close to $500,000. If you closed two elementary schools - that is one million dollars, which means you are still $5.8 million short of the $10 million you need to recuperate. That $5 million+/- would need to be taken from the General Fund that would be (in this scenario) exclusively supporting resident students’ schools and programs. In addition, we would spend millions of dollars updating our remaining schools to house more students.

In sum, DJUSD enrollment has declined by nearly 300 students since 2017-18 (as outlined in the chart below), and we have continued to make related reductions in expenditures, of more than $3 million over the course of that period. If our overall enrollment continues to decline we will, like many districts throughout the state, make the requisite reductions over time.


Q: Can you Explain Who Pays the Parcel Tax?
A: The Parcel Tax is a community tax for all property owners in Davis. People and businesses that own parcels pay the tax. People and businesses that rent do not pay the tax. Note, there are exemptions available for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

This means:

• People who live in Davis and own their own home pay the parcel tax
  
• People in Davis who are apartment dwellers or those living in student housing do not pay the Parcel Tax.
  
• Parcel taxes are not paid by people who live out of boundary
  

The district relies on non-resident students (interdistrict transfers) -- see explanation above -- to help maintain efficiencies in our classrooms by filling empty seats that might occur because of lower birth rates in Davis. Great schools are correlated with higher property values and a stronger housing market. Non-Davis residents do not enjoy the benefit of a housing value boost that an exemplary school district provides.

Q: Why can’t we make non-resident student families pay the Davis parcel tax?
A: Levying a fee on non-resident students is not legally permissible under the California Constitution.

All students have a right to take part in educational activities at school without paying a fee, deposit or other charge. To learn more about the restrictions on school districts charging fees for public educational activities, visit the California Department of Education Fiscal Management Advisory, which cites sections of Education Code, court cases and other legal references that govern this issue.

NOTE- Section III C.7 of the aforementioned advisory specifies:
“The Opinions of the Attorney General indicate that charges may not be levied for the following: 7) Fees to process an interdistrict transfer request by a pupil residing in another district.”

• One-Page Fact Sheet (Spanish)
  
• Past Oversight Committee Reports
• Informational Mailer (Spanish coming soon)
• Parcel Tax History