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Editorials
District deserves bond money to fix its schools
The quality of local schools has helped boost real estate value in Los Gatos and now it's time for residents to return the favor. On June 5, the Los Gatos Union School District is asking local voters to approve a $91 million bond to finance the renovation and repair of five schools.
Granted, residents are already paying an annual $250 parcel tax, but that money was specifically earmarked for educational purposes. Now the district needs to focus attention on its decrepit buildings.
The "newest" of the campuses, Fisher Middle School, is 40 years old and the electrical capacity of those 1961 classrooms is primitive for today's technology. In those days, the only things that needed to be plugged in were record players or projectors (before 16mm films gave way to videotape). Now, classrooms have televisions, VCRs and personal computers.
Also, some buildings are being used in ways never intended--a result of growing enrollments over the years. The district projects that it will add 200 students in the next five years, requiring 10 additional classrooms to accommodate that growth.
Psychologically speaking, the nice thing about funding infrastructure is that residents can literally see their tax dollars at work, at least there's a physical manifestation of what they're funding. Practically speaking, it's unlikely that constructions costs will be going down anytime in the near future. The time to act is now. Vote yes on Measure B.
Second parcel tax needed
In June 2000, voters in the Loma Prieta Joint Union Elementary School District renewed a $150-per-parcel tax, but the money was slated to fund just about everything, but teacher salaries. In March, the teachers received a 12 percent hike in pay, retroactive to Feb. 1, and will receive another 1 percent increase at the end of June.
To help pay for the raise--a necessity in this high-priced area--the district is banking on yet another $150-per-year parcel tax. Almost half of the money generated from the second parcel tax will be used for teacher salaries. The rest will be used for educational programs.
Some have questioned the district's reasoning for requesting two parcel taxes within a year's time, but its strategy appears sound: renewing the original tax--passed in 1991--only required a simple majority of the vote. A new measure requires a two-thirds majority vote. The district had a bird in the hand last June and decided to wait a year before beating the bushes for more.
Even with the raise, the teachers at the district are among the lowest paid in the county. Nobody likes special taxes, especially when they come in quick succession. But the residents need to bite the bullet and help pay the cost of attracting and retaining the people who educate their children. Vote yes on Measure E.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
