ALAMEDA: Voters face tough choice: pay up or shutdown

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 5/25/10 | Carolyn Jones

[SmithL]

Alameda voters embark today on a monthlong, mail-only election to decide whether taxes will be raised to support public schools. Both sides describe the outcome as Armageddon for the quiet island city.

Measure E is a parcel tax that would give Alameda some of the highest school taxes in the Bay Area: Homeowners would pay $659 a year and business owners would owe up to $9,500 annually per parcel.

If it passes, many small business owners, already struggling with the recession, say they'll be forced to close, stripping Alameda of its mom-and-pop charm. If the measure fails, the district's superintendent warns that half the schools in town would close.

"If this doesn't pass, all bets are off in Alameda," said Encinal High School Principal Mike Cooper, a fifth-generation Alamedan. "We're watching the collapse of public education. We've been trying to make this work, but something's got to give."

Business owners agree that at this point, all bets are off.

"If this passes, then God help us, there'll be no end," said Ed Hirshberg, who owns numerous commercial properties in Alameda but lives in Oakland. "The schools want more money from us, but the problem is there's no money available."

[SmithL]

Alameda is a pretty little island in the SF Bay, connected by a tunnel and a couple of bridges with Oakland. It was once home to NAS Alameda, but doesn't have much of a tax-base anymore. I guess the Myth Busters payroll doesn't quite match what the Navy once paid.

[Psycho_Bunny]

I wager “the schools” have plenty enough money: it’s just being mismanaged.

[screaminsunshine]

People there are certifiable. It will pass.

[XHogPilot]

Alameda, neighbor to Berkely and Oakland. That’s Oakland as in home to the Black Panthers.

[whitedog57]

Education is important, but the cost of education is getting cost prohibitive. It has morphed into a day care facility rather than pure education.

How about a user fee for parents who send their kids to these day care facilities?

[Repeat Offender]

"We're watching the collapse of public education. We've been trying to make this work, but something's got to give."

Good. Let the free market have a whack at it. I'm sure the "teachers'" union is ensuring there are no paycuts, if not requesting raises.

Maybe they can cut some of the BS classes and fire dead wood.

[mewzilla]

I think this is the district's budget....

http://www.acoe.org/acoe/files/home/budget/BudgetReport-2010.pdf

If so, makes interesting reading....

[Michael.SF.]

Parcel taxes are being voted on elsewhere as well in the Bay Area, Contra Costa and Solano Counties to name two counties that have school districts with Parcel taxes under consideration.

Half Moon Bay and Vallejo are broke and others will follow. What do they all have in common................ Democrats in control.

[Vigilanteman]

Alameda receives $5,777 per student, while Dublin, for example, receives $6,680, according to the Alameda Education Foundation.

It is all about money, isn't it? For an average class size of 25 which generates $144,425 per year, they can pay a teacher a salary and benefit package worth $72K and have a similar amount available to buy musical instruments, building upkeep and utilities. Your average Christian school makes do with a lot less.

[SmithL]

You’re right. MDUSD’s parcel tax proposal is outrageously expensive. I can’t imagine that it will pass. In the meantime, the school board has decided to not even meet until after the election.

[rawhide]

Easy vote for the money grabbing teacher’s unions! VOTE NO!

[Oldpuppymax]

So it’s for the CRIRRUN, right?

[CodeToad]

Every last public school system wastes they money they are given then hold the children’s education hostage and demands more money. I say kill off public education systems and let’s start over.