Font ResizeSan Carlos schools will ask voters in the November general election to add $75 to the district's existing parcel tax.
The school board reached a consensus during a special meeting Thursday night in favor of adding the money to the district's parcel tax, which is $109.73 this year and increases by 3 percent each year.
Board members discussed the issue at length and will vote on whether to include the total dollar amount of the revamped parcel tax or to simply indicate that it would be a $75 increase on the ballot.
The decision will be made during a meeting that is scheduled for either Aug. 4 or Aug. 5 to beat the county's Aug. 8 ballot deadline. The two meetings have been scheduled to ensure that Board Member Seth Rosenblatt, who will be traveling, could vote by phone.
Board Member Mark Olbert said he would like the ballot to indicate what the total tax would be.
"I would feel like we were being transparent. I would feel a lot more comfortable with it in there," Olbert said.
Board Vice President Carrie Du Bois said including the total figure is not warranted because property owners know how much in taxes they pay.
The district determined a $75 tax had the best chance of getting the two-thirds majority required to pass. Furthermore, turnout among school supporters would be higher because of the historic November presidential election, compared to a special election held later on.
"This is a unique election,"
Senden also suggested the district avoid a May 2009 mail-in ballot.
"If you look at the win-loss record, mail-in ballots look like something you should avoid," he said.
The district decided to put a tax measure on the ballot after its recent poll of 402 out of 22,469 registered voters in San Carlos indicated there is strong support for such an initiative. Only 18,552 of the voters consistently vote, San Mateo County Elections Office officials said.
About 72 percent of the respondents said they support increasing or renewing the district's $109.73 annual parcel tax, which expires June 30, 2011. The poll also showed an increase as high as $83 could still get a two-thirds majority.
Du Bois said she supported a November vote because people who don't own property and would not be affected by the tax would turn out, along with education supporters.
San Carlos schools use the tax to retain faculty and staff, maintain class sizes, school safety and technology, and fund programs that encourage early literacy.
The district hasn't decided how to use extra money in its $21 million budget this year, aside from reducing deficit spending.
California's budget woes have forced the district to use $580,000 of its $2.7 million reserves this fiscal year, $515,000 next year and $346,000 after that.
E-mail Mark Abramson at mabramson@dailynewsgroup.com.
