13,343 / 60.1% Yes votes ...... 8,848 / 39.9% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote of this measure means:

A yes vote is a vote to approve a qualified special tax on parcels within the San Jose Unified School District for a five year period of time.

A NO vote of this measure means:

A no vote is a vote not to approve the qualified special tax.

The Board of Education of the San Jose Unified School District proposes levying a qualified special tax on each parcel within the district for five years. Each owner of a parcel in the district with a single family dwelling unit would pay $98 per year. For multiple dwelling units on one parcel, the owner of each parcel would pay $40 per unit up to a limit. For both single and multiple dwelling units, the special tax would be subject to a maximum annual 2% inflation adjustment.

The purposes of the tax are to (1) maintain up-to-date textbooks and other library and classroom instructional materials; (2) pay fully credentialed teachers more to help attract and retain the most qualified teachers; (3) maintain class size ratio at 20:1 for primary grades; (4) maintain libraries staffed with library professionals; (5) provide academic specialists at every elementary school for those students having difficulty with education basics, including reading, writing, and math; (6) restore art and music programs; and (7) restore maintenance and custodial services. The proceeds of the special tax would only be used for these specific purposes.

Owners of single family residential parcels or multi-family dwelling units who (1) are age 65 and over; and (2) occupy the parcel or unit as a principal residence may be exempt from the special tax upon annual application for exemption.

The proceeds of the special tax would be deposited into a separate fund. No later than January 1 of each year while the tax is in effect, the district would prepare and file with the Board of Education a report detailing the amount of funds collected and spent and the status of any project authorized to be funded by this special tax.

If the special tax is approved, the district's appropriations limit would be increased by the amount equal to the special tax collected for each year the special tax is authorized.

A "yes" vote is a vote to approve a qualified special tax on parcels within the San Jose Unified School District for a five year period of time.

A "no" vote is a vote not to approve the qualified special tax.

Ann Miller Ravel
County Counsel

By: Lisa Herrick
Deputy County Counsel

Election Results

from the Registrar of Voters

Do you live within this school district?

provided by the Registrar of Voters

Information about San Jose Unified School District

(webpage) or 408-535-6090

CA State Laws - Gov't Code

click on "Gov't Code" and at the bottom of the page click on "Search". See especially sections 50075-50077.5 and sections 50079-50079.5

Friends of San Jose Schools Yes on Measure A

no webpage located

Libertarian Party of Santa Clara Co.

To support student achievement San Jose Unified has: secured over $12 million in grants for local schools; established numerous business and community educational partnerships; improved financial management resulting in higher bond ratings and savings of over $2 million for local taxpayers; and set high school graduation requirements among the most rigorous in the state.

But San Jose Unified School District, like many others in California, is facing severe budget cuts due to the current state budget crisis. Without passage of Measure A, essential classroom instructional materials, funds for reduced class size, teachers, instructional specialists, librarians and others will be severely cut.

Measure A will:

• Ensure adequate textbooks and classroom instructional materials
• Maintain competitive salaries to attract and retain quality teachers
• Maintain reduced class sizes in grades K-3
• Maintain library services with library professionals and adequate materials at every school
• Ensure academic specialists at every elementary school to help students struggling with reading, writing and math
• Restore elementary art and music programs
• Restore maintenance and custodial services that keep our school facilities clean and in good condition

All money raised by Measure A will stay in our community to benefit our local children. None of this money will go to pay administrators. Measure A will last for 5 years only.

Good schools are the foundation of a quality community. Good schools protect property values. Please join parents, teachers, labor and business leaders, and citizens throughout our community in supporting Measure A.

Please vote YES.

Ron Gonzales
Mayor of San Jose

Jim Cunneen
Former State Assemblyman and President, San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce

Diane Delbridge
Teacher

Meri Maben
Parent

Martin A. Cohen
Retiree - 28 yrs. in SJUSD

The crisis is the direct result of the carelessness and lack of foresight of the Governor and the Legislature. It would not be fair to blame the District for any of that. But, in a time of border line recession and 8 percent unemployment, it is even less fair to put this "trickle down" tax on the backs of a few property owners. The crisis is not their fault either.

The solution is to change attitudes at the State level. In February, the Governor argued that School Districts with a large basic property tax base have less need, and tried to use that as a reason to reduce their State funding. If Measure A passes, there is NO GUARANTEE that the State will not use that as an excuse to withhold an extra $98 from the District in the future. This would leave us no better off, but with a NEW tax that will be enforced for FIVE YEARS.

The solution is for all those interested in school funding to contact the Governor, their Assembly person, and their State Senator directly. Compel the Legislature to do its duty, and make major cuts somewhere else in every year's budget.

In this way, you can be FOR students, FOR schools, but still VOTE NO ON MEASURE A!

Ray Strong
Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County

George M. Swenson
President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association, Inc.

Jack E. Davis
President Santa Clara Valley Republican Assembly

Dennis Umphress
Campaign Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County

Keith C. De Filippis
Past Secretary Republican National Hispanic Assembly Santa Clara Chapter

Taxpayers already feel the pinch of difficult financial times. With the Santa Clara County unemployment rate at 8.6%, Measure A will hurt many who are not exempt.

If the district respected the needs and situation of taxpayers, Measure A would have been written differently. The tax should expire after 2 years. Instead it will be in place for FIVE YEARS. It should include a true oversight function. The best oversight is provided by citizen volunteers, such as was done for the $429 million dollar bond passed just a year ago. Measure A promises only a yearly report by the district, showing where the money has been spent. This is nothing new: they are ALREADY required to do an annual audit.

The expenditures should be limited to the gap caused by state cuts. Instead, EXTRA programs that were CANCELED decades ago are ADDED. Money raised by this new tax may be withdrawn by the state as not needed, leaving the district worse off.

An Education Task Force, created by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, is already working to improve teacher salaries across the entire county. This new tax for San Jose Unified School District undermines these efforts.

Hasty, poll-driven, badly planned, lacking in respect for the taxpayers, and failing to "work well with others" are just a few of the many reasons to "Vote NO on Measure A!"

You can be FOR students, FOR schools, and AGAINST Measure A.

For more information please visit us at
http://www.VoteNoOnA.org

Ray Strong
Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County

George M. Swenson
President, Silicon Valley Taxpayers' Association

Jack E. Davis
President, Santa Clara Valley California Republican Assembly

Keith C. De Filippis
Secretary, Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Santa Clara County

Dennis Umphress
Campaign Chair, Libertarian Party of Santa Clara County

Here are the facts:

• The state budget crisis is severely impacting local schools. Already this year San Jose Unified has been forced to cut over $6 million from its budget. At least $10 million more in cuts are on the way.

• The Board of Education has made every effort to cut as far away from the classroom as possible. But now even the basics, books, instructional materials, quality teachers, and reduced class sizes, are at risk. Budget cuts will affect every classroom.

• Measure A is a prudent, responsible measure to maintain quality schools during the state's fiscal crisis. Measure A will last 5 years only. It will cost the average homeowner less than $2 a week.

• By law Measure A funds can only be spent on items listed in the measure approved by voters: e.g. textbooks, instructional materials, quality teachers, reduced class sizes, and school library professionals. None of this money will go to pay administrators. Your elected school board will provide oversight to ensure funds are spent properly.

• Measure A will provide a stable funding source for our local schools that cannot be raided by the State. Every dollar raised by Measure A will stay in our community to benefit our local children.

Don't be persuaded by people with no knowledge of San Jose schools or our local needs. The children of our community deserve good schools. Quality schools protect everyone's property values.

Please vote YES.

Patricia M. Dando
Vice Mayor of San Jose

Marla Olszewski
Parent

Diane Delbridge
Teacher

Albert L. Moreno
Retired Principal

Martin A. Cohen
Retiree

The purpose of the special tax is to improve the quality of education in the District by supporting the following programs:

• Maintaining up-to-date textbooks and other library and classroom instructional materials.
• Paying fully credentialed teachers more to help attract and retain the most qualified teachers for every classroom
• Maintaining class size at 20:1 for primary grades.
• Maintaining staffing of libraries with library professionals at every school.
• Providing academic specialists at every elementary school for those students having difficulty with education basics, including reading, writing and math.
• Restoring the art and music programs that were eliminated from all elementary schools in the 1980's.
• Restoring maintenance and custodial services that keep our school facilities clean and in good condition

An exemption may be granted annually on any single family residential parcel or multi-family dwelling unit owned by one or more persons 65 years or over who occupies said parcel or unit as a principal residence, upon annual application for exemption.

Pursuant to California Constitution article XIIIB and applicable laws, the appropriations limit for the District will be adjusted periodically by the aggregate sum collected by levy of this special tax.

The proceeds of the special tax shall be applied only to the specific purposes identified above. The proceeds of the special tax shall be deposited into a fund, which shall be kept separate and apart from other funds of the District. No later than January 1 of each year while the tax is in effect, the District shall prepare and file with the Board of Education a report detailing the amount of funds collected and expended, and the status of any project authorized to be funded by this measure.