The parcel tax ballot measure, which would have offset $6 million in budget cuts, won by a majority vote in the June 4 special election but fell short of the required two-thirds majority.

On July 9, the district invited focus groups comprised of parents and community members to brainstorm ideas as to why the parcel tax campaign wasn't successful and how to energize the community for help in future fundraising campaigns.

"Given the state budget crisis, we realize that we can't rely on legislation for any more help," said Linda Murray, district superintendent. "We need a more involved community."

A few dozen community members spent the evening meeting listening to school officials list where cuts will be made. They also heard two guest speakers give an overview of what's going on in the state Legislature. The groups then formulated ideas to raise funds and improve communication between the district and the community. The district's governing board then took those ideas and evaluated them at a July 10 retreat.

Had the measure passed, homeowners 65 or younger would have been assessed $98 for five years, and owners of multifamily dwellings would have paid $40 per dwelling unit. Voters 65 or older could have applied for exemption from paying the tax.

The money raised would have gone toward reducing class sizes, maintaining up-to-date textbooks and teaching materials, and restoring art and music programs in elementary schools.

In the wake of the defeated measure, the district will need to look at possibly closing and consolidating elementary schools, eliminating busing, and relocating the district office from its Lenzen Avenue location. The cuts also mean eliminating class size reduction programs in kindergarten through third grade as well as ninth grade, laying off librarians and reducing the number of assistant principals.

The district also foresees cuts of between $3 million and $5 million each school year until 2007.

The focus groups were asked to explore four areas: what lessons can be learned from the parcel tax defeat; how funds can be raised; how the community can be more involved to create equal representation for all schools and not just some; and what should be the district's next steps.

The focus groups said that one reason the parcel tax didn't pass was because it was called simply "Measure A," which some believe is overused and could be confused with other recent special elections. For example, the city's campaign to expand Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport was also known as Measure A.

The focus groups also said the campaign was too rushed and, in one case, campaign literature appeared in the mail after the election.

Ideas brought up included approaching grandparents and not just parents for help, asking alumni for support, sponsoring benefit concerts, reducing or eliminating busing, marketing all the schools with advertisements in local parent magazines, and having schools that are successful at fundraising teach other schools how to raise funds.

One idea that was presented by one of the focus groups and raised some eyebrows was to ask the community at large to just cut the district a check for the $98 they would have paid on their taxes had the measure passed.

Later, in her closing remarks, Murray said she suspects the ballot measure was defeated because it was the district that spearheaded the campaign.

"What we needed at the beginning was more of a groundswell of support from the community," Murray said.

She suspects that the lack of connection with the community lessened the district's chances of convincing enough voters to get out and meet the two-thirds supermajority requirement.

Karen Potts, a member of the Willow Glen Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association, said that one way to convince the community that it should support the district is by promoting more of its accomplishments, such as the district's high Academic Performance Index scores.

"The district needs to toot its own horn," Potts said, "and once the community knows what's at stake they can realize just how significant these cuts are."