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Voters in the Redwood City School District will decide Tuesday whether to support a parcel tax measure to raise additional funds for teaching positions, educational programs and managing class sizes.
Measure C would generate $12.2 million annually over eight years if two-thirds of district voters approve, according to RCSD’s ballot resolution filed with the San Mateo County elections office.
The measure would levy 17.5 cents per square foot of building space each year with a cap on the total amount, according to the resolution. Parcels without structures, however, would see a flat $25 annual charge.
The measure would provide competitive compensation to “attract and retain qualified teachers, counselors and school staff,” the resolution said, and “no funds could be used for administrator salaries or pensions.”
The funds would bolster math, science, technology and engineering instruction; “support quality reading and writing programs; and maintain manageable class sizes,” the resolution also said.
Exemptions from the special tax may be granted to senior citizens 65 years or older, residents receiving Supplemental Security Income for a disability and those with Social Security Disability Insurance benefits whose yearly income falls below a certain federal poverty threshold, the resolution said.
The measure would establish an independent citizens’ oversight committee, mandatory annual audits, and public disclosures to oversee, track, and report on how the funds are used, and to ensure they “are spent only for the purposes described,” the resolution added.
Earlier this year, the district board agreed to place the measure on the ballot, contending that RCSD is not receiving sufficient funding quickly enough to keep up with rising operational expenses.
RCSD Superintendent John Baker also noted that the expiration of one-time state and federal pandemic-related relief funds hurt the district budget.
In addition, the district has been experiencing falling enrollment. The district currently serves about 6,400 children, but that number was projected to drop by more than 1,000 heading into the 2033–34 school year. The district once numbered 10,000 students.
Amid such challenges, the district has made about $13 million in ongoing budget cuts and savings over the past two school years.
Opposition
Mark W.A. Hinkle, president of the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association, filed arguments against Measure C, raising questions about trust and transparency.
“Citizen oversight ends when votes are cast,” Hinkle said in his filing with the county elections office. “If you could trust the board, why would you need oversight?”
As for a project list that’s specific, he said, “There is none. Measure C includes everything under the sun.”
Chris Robell, a board member of the taxpayers association, told the Pulse that the measure’s “language appears broad and flexible.”
He is also wary that because public funds are generally considered fungible, “new revenue labeled for specific purposes can allow existing funds to be redirected elsewhere,” Robell said.
“The parcel tax can be a shell game,” he said. “There’s no guarantee on how the existing money that they already have will be allocated amongst teachers versus other expenditures, these administrators and such.”
But Robell also told the Pulse that he is not opposed to parcel taxes in general.
“In fact, if it’s (under) responsible district leadership, I think (a parcel tax) can be great” because it can lower classroom sizes and help academic programs, he said.
However, RCSD is “a district whose leadership is not to be trusted,” he said, contending that “they’ve spent money irresponsibly.”
Just one example of that, he said, is when the district board in late 2024 approved a $17 million lighting-retrofit project using Measure S bond money “to replace perfectly working light bulbs.”
He also took issue, stating that the project was a no-bid contract. “There’s no reason why they shouldn’t have (taken) it to multiple bidders,” Robell said.
But from minutes of a Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee meeting in January 2025, a district representative noted that the project qualified for an exemption from bidding under state law “due to guaranteed energy savings.”
According to the district, the project to replace fluorescent bulbs with LED lighting was expected to cut utility usage by 52% and reduce annual energy costs by more than $200,000.
Support
In their arguments filed in support of Measure C, proponents contended that because of the Bay Area’s high cost of living, “we risk losing some of our great teachers to less expensive areas or higher-paying districts” without the parcel tax.
The measure’s funds would remain under local control and not go to administrators, they said in their filing with the county.
The measure would ensure “that large commercial properties and corporations pay their fair share to support local schools,” they also said. “Single-family homeowners and small business owners will pay significantly less than (those with) large properties.”
Those who joined in the arguments of support included Brenna Geer, president of the Redwood City Teachers Association; business owner Courtney Borrone; and former Redwood City Mayor Alicia Aguirre.
Jessica Shade, an organizer for the Yes on C committee, told the Pulse that she believes passing the measure “would change the trajectory of the school district.”
Shade noted that RCSD receives less local parcel tax funding than surrounding districts, while costs continue to rise.
“If Measure C does not pass, we will likely continue to see additional cuts over time: fewer teachers and classified staff; larger class sizes; fewer arts, music and hands-on science opportunities; reduced library hours; and fewer student supports overall,” she said.
“Measure C would help stabilize schools and support competitive salaries so we can attract the best teachers out there and reduce turnover,” she said. “At the end of the day, this is about whether our kids get the same opportunities students in neighboring districts already have.”
As for trust issues raised by critics, Shade countered that the measure’s accountability provisions “are not just promises” but include “independent oversight, annual audits and very restrictive language around how the funding can be used.”
She added: “To develop the language of the measure, we had a lengthy community engagement and drafting process with multiple rounds of feedback and revisions involving community members, district representatives and people with differing viewpoints. … I think that process helped strengthen the measure considerably because it directly addressed many of the criticisms people had about previous measures and transparency concerns.”
On the ballot: Measure C – Redwood City School District’s parcel-tax proposal
Purpose: To generate $12.2 million annually over eight years to fund teaching positions, educational programs and manageable class sizes
Tax amount: 17.5 cents per square foot of building space each year, though parcels without structures would see a flat $25 annual charge
Approval threshold: Two-thirds supermajority of district voters
