A Parcel Tax for Schools

Such reliable resources are an absolute necessity for addressing long-term costs such as teachers’ salaries and even staffing levels.

The dismal funding level for California’s schools is a chronic condition first contracted with the passage of the infamous Proposition 13 legislation, which radically reduced property tax levels. That one single event pushed our schools over the edge from being one of the best funded to being one of the worst, on a per pupil basis. Additional funding challenges include an increase in “categorical” funding, meaning money is allocated to schools by the legislature, but it must be spent on specific programs, not on general operational costs such as teacher salaries or to address cost overruns from other mandated programs, such as special education or food. Compounding this situation for San Francisco and for many other urban districts across the country and certainly in our state, is the issue of declining enrollment, as some families choose private (secular or religious) schools and many more leave the City entirely.

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