June 24, 2004

Early indications point toward successful parcel tax for CUHSD

One item on the agenda at last week’s Campbell Union High School District board meeting was the possibility of a parcel tax to make sure the district’s five schools would be able to reinstate the seventh period for the 2005-06 school year. The board hired Terris Barnes Walters, a political media company, to find out whether a parcel tax would be received favorably.

That group in turn hired a research firm to poll the area to find out if a sampling of voting households would consider supporting a parcel tax between $75 and $95 per year for five years. The poll consisted of a random sample of 600 likely voters.

The determination, through the poll, was that there’s a reasonable chance the parcel tax would succeed. Of the 600 voters, 75 percent favored an $85 tax with 23 percent opposed and 7 percent undecided.

Paul Goodwin, from Goodwin Simon Strategic Research unveiled his company’s findings. He said the best time to hold the election would be during the November Presidential election, which typically brings out more people—especially parents—than a special election.

The high level of support, he added, comes from an awareness among the voters of the district’s financial concerns. Four years ago, 11 percent said they were aware the district had a lack of money. This year, 41 percent are aware of the district’s funding constraints mainly because they are aware of the state’s budget cuts to schools.

In addition, Goodwin noted that people are aware that the money will be used within the district and not go into funds for the state. He said that the sample of voters indicated they wanted the parcel tax to pay for expanding academic class options such as science, music and art. The people interviewed also suggested their other important concerns are for class size reduction and competitive teacher salaries.

“We are starting at about 70 percent,” he said, but we will need 66 2/3 percent. It will be difficult, but with hard work and enthusiasm I think we can win.”

When asked what kind of time line the district should be looking at, Barry Bonds, from Terris Barnes Walters, suggested the work begin the first week in August. The CUHSD board should decided at its July 15 meeting whether to go ahead with the parcel tax issue.

If the county puts its $195 parcel tax for education on the November ballot, CUHSD can remove its tax, because the likelihood of passage of high school district tax drops 3 percentage points if it’s also on the ballot. It may pass regardless, Barnes said, but it will be more difficult with the county tax.

“The reason that a number of parcel taxes didn’t succeed during the last election was that there were so many on the ballot,” Barnes said. Only a very few succeeded. In fact, Union School District’s parcel tax of $95 failed by only 200 votes; it received nearly 65 percent, just under the 66 2/3 percent needed for passage.

The district will have about eight weeks to decide, he said. A decision must be made between mid-June and Aug. 3.

—By Carol Rosen