This November, Alum Rock Union Elementary School District is asking Santa Clara County voters to approve a parcel tax and school bond that officials say will prevent budget cuts, protect academic programs and repair aging facilities \u2014 and will total more than $215 million by the time it ends in 2054.<\/p>\n
The measures come as Alum Rock Union Elementary School District closed six school sites last August<\/a> and consolidated or redesigned several others due to a $20 million budget shortfall stemming from a significant decline in student enrollment.<\/a><\/p>\n The district serves about 7,300 preschool-through-8th grade students in East San Jose, 78% of whom are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged and 43% of whom are classified as English language learners.<\/p>\n If approved, the parcel tax ballot measure \u2014 Measure O \u2014 would replace a parcel tax approved by voters in June 2022, raising the annual tax from $214.10 to $310 per parcel \u2014 about $6.5 million annually, instead of the previously estimated $4.5 million annually.<\/p>\n The district is also asking voters to approve a separate $100 million school bond \u2014 Measure P \u2014 to fund much-needed repairs at school sites across the district.<\/p>\n The parcel tax measure requires two-thirds approval to pass. The new tax rate would begin on July 1, 2027, and continue for seven years.<\/p>\n The bond measure requires 55% of the vote to pass and the average annual tax rate would be $25.52 per $100,000 of assessed property value. The bond is estimated to collect about $6.3 million annually through 2054, with total debt including principal and interest expected to reach $170 million.<\/p>\n Supporters say the measures are necessary to protect critical academic programs, staff and services for socioeconomically disadvantaged youth, as well as repair the district\u2019s more than 60-year-old buildings and ensure classrooms are safe and functional.<\/p>\n But opponents argue voters have already given the district more than $444 million in school bonds over the last two decades, and Measure O would be the district\u2019s fourth parcel tax since 2010.\u00a0 They point out that the tax rate has risen significantly since voters passed Measure I\u2019s $160 per parcel tax rate in 2010.<\/p>\n The district said enrollment dropped from 16,000 students in the early 2000s to about 7,300 students in the 2024-25 school year, leaving the district with too many schools for the number of students enrolled. Alum Rock Union Elementary School said charter schools, families moving out of the area and lower birth rates contributed to the decline.<\/p>\n The district said if passed, the parcel tax funds will protect services for students with disabilities, improve reading, writing, math and science programs, attract and retain highly qualified teachers and support foster youth and students experiencing housing instability.<\/p>\n Without the funds, the district said budget cuts could be necessary, which would take away \u201cdedicated teachers, vital services and academic programs that students rely on every day.\u201d<\/p>\n The $100 million bond measure funds, if passed, would be used to replace or repair roofs, plumbing and other aging infrastructure, install and upgrade campus safety and security systems, construct new classrooms, modernize restrooms, play areas and cafeterias and construct athletic fields, gymnasiums and locker rooms, according to the district.<\/p>\n Primary supporters of both measures include the district\u2019s school board vice president Andres Quintero, board members Minh Pham and Corina Herrera-Loera, and the district\u2019s Teamsters labor union, which represents school support workers including custodians, administrative staff and school bus drivers.<\/p>\n Measure O\u2019s parcel tax would include exemptions for homeowners over the age of 65 and those who receive supplemental security income for a disability regardless of age. Tax proceeds would also be prohibited from funding any program not listed in the measure, including administrators\u2019 salaries.<\/p>\n If passed, the district\u2019s school board will also be required to establish a citizen oversight committee to oversee the spending of each measure\u2019s funds and a written report will be submitted to the board each year detailing the amount of funds collected and the status of any project or programs authorized to be funded.<\/p>\n But the two proposed measures come as the results of the June primary election\u2019s school parcel taxes and bond measures<\/a> could signal trouble for their passage.<\/p>\n