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Measure H – Santa Clara County (June 3, 2014)
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Election - June 3, 2014
Santa Clara County
Measure H:
Parcel tax of $100 for Evergreen School District:
To provide competitive and safe learning environments and enhance student achievement by
- Improving hands-on science, technology and math instruction;
- Keeping class size low;
- Improving teacher quality and training;
- Protecting arts/music programs and libraries;
- Ensuring adequate student supervision and safety;
Shall the Evergreen Elementary School District renew a parcel tax at $100 per parcel for 5 years with citizen oversight, annual reports, a senior exemption, and no money for District administrators' salaries or the State?
SVTA recommends a NO vote against Measure H.
Here's why:
Evergreen Elementary School District is trying to use the state budget crisis to grab unearned money. They want to hike the 2008 tax of $90/parcel to $100, every year for 5 years! Consider this:
- Student enrollment is virtually flat.- The number of teachers has declined from 632, in the 2009-10 school year, to 566 in 2011-12 (latest figures available).
With the same number of students, and fewer teachers, shouldn't expenses drop?
Doesn't matter: the District wants even more money.
But don't we value those remaining teachers? Yes! Here's a comparison of Evergreen Elementary School District's teacher salaries to those statewide (on average):
2011-12 │ Enrollment: 13,347 Teachers' salary = $79,787 │ Statewide = $68,603
2010-11 │ Enrollment: 13,388 Teachers' salary = $78,130 │ Statewide = $67,388
2009-10 │ Enrollment: 13,323 Teachers' salary = $74,978 │ Statewide = $67,531
(Source: Education Data Partnership)
What about "class size reduction"?
In 2008, they promised to "maintain class size reduction". Did they?
According to Education Data Partnership, the class size in the 2008-09 year was 26 students per teacher. In 2011-12 (latest figures available) it is 28.2 students per teacher.
Failed promise???
What about homeowners and renters?
They haven't stopped feeling the pinch of the economic downturn and inflation. With Santa Clara County's official unemployment rate at 6.3% (up from 5.8% in December, 2013), but the real rate ─ counting people who have stopped trying to find work - far higher, Measure H will increase everyone's housing cost (except the few senior homeowners who remember to file for their exemption), hurting the unemployed the worst.
The District says that none of these funds will be used for administration. But that's an empty promise: any funds generated outside this parcel tax can simply be shifted to administration -- without limit. Don't be fooled by the shell game.
Everywhere, families' budgets are being slashed -- why not also at Evergreen Elementary School District?
Teach Evergreen Elementary School District's board to be financially responsible: Vote NO on Measure H.
VOTE NO
on
MEASURE H!
You may read the Full Text, Arguments, Rebuttal Arguments, and Impartial Analysis of Measure N
at the web site of the County Elections Office: here.
Paid for by the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association PAC.