Council Endorses Local Tax to Support School District

To help hold off school district reductions in teaching staff and class offerings, the on Tuesday night agreed to endorse a local parcel tax that would secure funding for the district as it faces shrinking support from the state, while also protecting city property values.

Council members responded to a request from the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District to support Measure M, a local school parcel tax measure on the Nov. 8 ballot.

It would replace two existing parcel tax measures, Measures P and V, with the same tax rate at $374 per parcel per year. Unlike Measures P and V, which are set to expire in 2013, Measure M has no expiration date. It will protect $7 million in local education spending, according to the district.

The relatively minimal cost to residents is "an overwhelmingly positive value," Mayor Tom Long said.

"The support of this fee is extremely important to our residents," he said. "Our property values are directly linked to the performance of the school district."

Board of Education President Dora de la Rosa, also a , addressed the council Tuesday night and supported the lack of a sunset provision, which would have ended the parcel tax in the future.

"We will never honestly not need the funding from the local community," she said. "We believe it is a wise investment from the community."

Council candidate Ken Dyda spoke in opposition to the council's support.

"Let the school district support [Measure M] and convince the residents of the need," he said.

Potential consequences to the district if Measure M does not pass on election day were laid out by Board of Education Vice President Barbara Lucky, who said 90 teaching positions and 40 classified positions could be lost without the measure's passage. In addition to fewer class offerings and extracurricular activities for students, the district might even have to close an elementary school, she said.

Councilman Doug Stern was hopeful the measure would pass in November.

"I think the merits of this stand alone," he said. "It's so important to our community."

According to the district, Measure M in part will preserve advanced academic programs in math, science and technology, the retention of teachers and employees, up-to-date classroom technology, and smaller class sizes.

Palos Verdes residents can vote on the measure during the Nov. 8 elections.