Voters in the financially-strapped Sacramento City Unified School District will be asked to approve a parcel tax this November to fund special education. The tax, which will appear on the ballot as Measure M, would charge $95 annually for each property in the district though there would be some exemptions for people with disabilities and those older than 65.<\/p>\n
The school district\u2019s Board of Education voted in July to place the measure on the ballot. Sac City Unified officials say it\u2019s needed to cover the district\u2019s shortfall of funds for federally mandated services for students with disabilities. If passed, the measure<\/a> would raise $10 million annually. People receiving Social Security Disability benefits, Social Security Supplemental Income, or people who are 65 and older can apply for an exemption from the tax.<\/p>\n This special education funding shortfall, according to the district, stems from the federal passage of what\u2019s now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act<\/a>. When passed in 1975, the federal government promised to pay up to 40% of the national average per-pupil expenses of each student with disabilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Measure M states the federal government has never met that standard, and that the current level of funding the federal government provides sits at around 13%. Jason Burke, who works in special education with the district, said the number of students with disabilities has climbed dramatically.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo to three years ago, we had about 5,000 students in special education, and now we have 8,000,\u201d Burke said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen a large increase with the amount of students in special education\u2026 We have not seen an increase in funding.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the past year, the school district has been in the throes of a financial crisis. Since December 2025, the district has been facing an over $100 million deficit and potential state take over.<\/p>\n Supporters say Measure M is one small way to help Sac City Unified, while opponents argue they\u2019re worried about the district\u2019s track record of mismanaging money.<\/p>\n Kellie Swayne, a realtor in the Sacramento area and a parent whose kids attend school in the district, said she opposes the measure.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe fiscal position of this district is dire,\u201d Swayne said. \u201cAsking our families to bear an additional financial burden, by a body who has not shown responsible management of money, is unnerving to me.\u201d<\/p>\n By contrast, Nikki Davis Milevsky, president of the Sacramento City Teacher\u2019s Association, said the amount is a small price to pay for kids with special needs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really a minimum amount of money,\u201d Davis Milevsky said. \u201c$7.70 a month, 26 cents a day, to help the students that are the most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n Swayne said she\u2019s not swayed by that argument. Instead, she said families in the region already face an affordability crisis that has no end in sight. She said that while she wants teachers and students to be supported, it shouldn\u2019t be on the backs of taxpayers.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not just a microcosm of \u2018just $95 more,\u2019\u201d Swayne said. \u201cPeople are getting priced out of just living, and any additional cost to our families, we just can\u2019t bear it right now.\u201d<\/p>\n The tax will increase a maximum of 3% every year to keep pace with inflation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Davis Milevsky said that since the climbing cost comes from a federal mandate that hasn\u2019t been funded federally, the costs to meet these standards need to come from somewhere. Usually, that\u2019s from the general fund, money that could be used to help dig the district out of the budget hole it’s currently in.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have to spend general fund dollars, funds that are trying to provide classrooms and services throughout the whole district,\u201d Davis Milevsky said. \u201cThat money needs to be instead spent on a few students that have a lot of high needs\u2026 It just means less money for everyone to go around.\u201d<\/p>\n Tab Berg, who\u2019s on the board of the Sacramento Taxpayer\u2019s Association<\/a>, said the tax would be levied on Sacramentans inequitably.<\/p>\n \u201cIt taxes a first-time home buyer or a low-income home buyer at the same rate it\u2019s going to tax somebody who owns a multi-million dollar mansion in the Fabulous Forties,\u201d Berg said.<\/p>\n Berg said he\u2019s also concerned about the\u00a0 mismanagement of the district’s money, even if the tax revenue is specifically earmarked for use with special education. In 2024, the Sacramento Grand Jury released a report<\/a> that accused the district of not meeting the needs<\/a> of students in special education.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have to be spending the money that actually benefits students, which they\u2019re not doing,\u201d Berg said. \u201cThe Grand Jury was very clear in this. They are failing, absolutely failing the most vulnerable students, so saying we just need more money is a rather disingenuous claim.\u201d<\/p>\n The measure would fund both special education and early intervention for students with disabilities. The Grand Jury investigation called on the district to institute early intervention programs, which helps students with disabilities stay in general education classes. This can help decrease the cost of special education.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to have a dedicated funding source to help us provide these services,\u201d Davis Milevksy said. \u201c[It\u2019s] the best way to lower the need for special education is to intervene early with students, give them what they need before they need to be qualified for special education.\u201d<\/p>\n
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