Redwood City School District puts parcel-tax measure on June ballot

The Redwood City School District will ask voters in June to approve a parcel tax to help address ongoing funding constraints.

During a special meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26, the district board unanimously decided to place the measure on the June 2 ballot. If approved by two-thirds of district voters, the measure is expected to generate $12.2 million annually over eight years to fund teaching positions and bolster educational programs.

“These funds are for the general fund that can be used to fund salaries (and) that can be used to fund teachers and aides that are actually in the classroom,” district board President David Weekly said during the meeting. “This is really critical for delivering education because ultimately it’s the human beings who are in the classroom that deliver an education to our students, and that is our primary mission as a school district.”

In the board-approved resolution calling for the election, the district would tap the initiative’s funds “to attract and retain qualified teachers, counselors and school staff by providing competitive compensation; maintain hands-on science classes; and provide math and science enrichment.”

The district would also use the funds to “preserve science, technology, engineering and math instruction; support quality reading and writing programs; and maintain manageable class sizes,” the resolution said.

The initiative would establish a tax rate of 17.5 cents per square foot of building space each year, with a cap on the total amount, though parcels without structures would see a flat $25 annual charge, the resolution said. It would exempt senior citizens and those receiving federal financial support for a disability.

Parent leaders lauded the district’s decision to take the matter to voters.

“This parcel tax would not only allow us to close that budget gap without worsening the quality of our classrooms but would also allow us more budget to the school sites for long-needed relief and support for our children,” Carlo Contavalli said in an email to the Pulse.

“With a very diverse community such as the one we have in Redwood City, (the parcel tax’ funding structure) should help a lot with both equity and making sure everyone pays their fair share to support our schools,” added Contavalli, a member of the parents group Strong Schools for Redwood City, which has been exploring a community-initiated parcel tax as an alternative strategy to help with the district’s fiscal challenges.

The group will table its effort to make way for the district’s parcel tax, Contavalli said. “Our goal is to improve Redwood City schools, and right now, our best shot is by supporting the district-led measure. If this doesn’t work, we’ll regroup and decide what to do next.”

The group has also been raising funds for a campaign promoting its citizen-driven tax proposal, and so far collected about $72,000. That fundraising will now go toward backing the district’s initiative, Contavalli said.

Jessica Shade, also a member of Strong Schools, noted that a district survey last year “showed support at or above the two-thirds threshold” for an RCSD parcel tax.

“Once it became clear there was viable community support, we made a strategic decision to shift gears and align behind a single district-placed measure rather than continue pursuing a separate citizen’s initiative,” Shade said in an email to the Pulse. “Our goal has always been to secure stable funding for students, teachers and classified staff. A unified approach gives the measure the strongest possible path forward and avoids confusion or divided resources.”

But Chris Robell, a board member of the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association, criticized the district’s move to once again go to voters after pursuing other ballot initiatives over the years, such as bond Measure S, which passed in 2022 to raise $298 million to upgrade facilities and improve school safety.

“At some point, taxpayers reasonably ask whether the district has a long-term financial plan or whether it will continue returning to voters for additional revenue,” Robell told the Pulse in an email. “Before approving a new parcel tax, the district should commit to better prioritizing existing bond funds and provide clarity about future borrowing plans.”

He added, “Working families must live within budgets and prioritize spending. The district should be held to the same standard. If leaders want voter support, they should offer clearer commitments, stronger financial transparency and demonstrated fiscal discipline. Until then, residents have valid reasons to vote no on the parcel tax in its current form.”

The district, however, has argued that pursuing a parcel tax is justified because RCSD is not generating sufficient funding quickly enough to keep pace with increased operational costs.

The expiration of one-time state and federal pandemic-related relief funds has also handcuffed the budget, district Superintendent John Baker said previously.

In addition, districtwide enrollment – currently at about 6,400 children but once numbering 10,000 – is projected to fall by more than 1,000 students heading into the 2033–34 school year, according to Baker.

All those factors have prompted the district over the past two school years to approve approximately $13 million in ongoing budget cuts and savings.

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