The district voted unanimously on March 5 to place the parcel tax measure on the June 3 ballot. The measure calls for voters to authorize a five-year parcel tax, asking for $98 a year for single-family dwellings or $40 per unit a year for multiple-family dwellings—such as apartment complexes—on one parcel. For the multiple-family dwelling parcel tax, the annual amount would cap at $980, according to school board trustee Carol Myers, who represents Willow Glen schools.

The annual inflation would be two percent, and homeowners 65 and older would be exempt, according to the measure approved by the district.

Myers said that the parcel tax should bring $6.2 million annually into the district's general fund.

A poll conducted by Gene Bregman & Associates in February showed that voters would support a parcel tax to help retain credentialed teachers, maintain smaller class sizes, keep teaching materials up to date, prevent reductions in teachers' salaries and avoid library staff reductions.

San Jose Unified School District Superintendent Linda Murray clarified that the parcel tax differs from a property tax. Local property taxes go to the state, not back into local services, but the monies from this parcel tax would go directly into the school district's general fund to be earmarked for maintaining existing services.

California voters passed Proposition 13 in June 1978, making a constitutional amendment that caps residential property taxation at 1 percent of the home's assessed value per year. The proposition subsequently reduced the amount of dollars that flowed into school districts throughout the state.

"Our funding comes mainly from the state, but a parcel tax would not go to the state; it would stay right here and would only be used for local purposes that the voters define," Murray said. "It's not the state's agenda; it's our local community's agenda."

She added that many of the voters do not have school-age children but would vote to approve a parcel tax, because, as Murray describes, "they realize that good schools add value to your property and create a happy community to live in and an improved quality of life."

Myers said the five-year parcel tax should be enough of a time span for the district to accumulate the necessary revenue while the state economy works to recover from the "draconian budget cuts the state is engaged in."

But even with approval of a parcel tax the district still anticipates making budget cuts over the next year. At this point the district is uncertain as to what will be affected, she said.

"We realize we can't keep going to the voters all the time to help out the district," Myers said. "We appreciate what they've done up to this point"—namely, passing bonds in earlier elections—"but we have to be realistic and hope that on this parcel tax the voters will support us."

Helen Beth Morris, who lives on Madrona Avenue, said she's one of those voters who does believe the district has asked enough of the voters and isn't impressed with how the district has used its funding to date.

"I don't feel comfortable with how the school district has spent its money in the past," Morris said. "I really don't want to send the message that the district should continue doing what it's doing."