Parcel tax passes, district breaths sigh of relief

Administrators, teachers, students and parents breathed a collective sigh of relief on May 3 when Measure A, the parcel tax in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, passed with a 72.59 percent support, according to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. Measure A as the first time that voters in the district have been asked to approve a parcel tax measure for the two high schools.

“It’s kind of historic,” superintendent Cary Matsuoka said. “To have it pass on our first attempt is a big deal.”

Measure A will implement an annual $49 parcel tax to support both Saratoga and Los Gatos High Schools. The tax is expected to generate $4.8 million over a six-year time span.

“This parcel tax … gives us some much needed breathing room as we look forward to the future.” Matsuoka said.

The vote was conducted via mail-in ballot. Overall 14,700 votes were cast, with 10,671 people voting for Measure A and 4,029 people voting against it (27.41 percent). The tax needed 66.7 percent to pass.

The success of measure A does not solve all of the district’s budget problems, but many proposed cuts will no longer have to be implemented.

“It means that our budget will be stabilized,” Matsuoka said. “[We can] stop annual spring cutting and maintain everything that we have in our school.”

The money will be used to support the core programs: English, math, science, social studies and world languages. In order to ensure that this happens, the district office will be organizing an oversight committee made up of Saratoga and Los Gatos citizens.

In a board meeting on May 17, the board of trustees decided to spend $550,000 to shrink class sizes and add sections that were cut because of the budge. English 9 and Algebra 1 will benefit the most from the added sections, although sections will be added across the curriculum.

They also decided to “restore per-pupil spending,” provide support and reinstate the NOVA alternative program guidance couselor. The rest of the issues are on hold until the California state budget is passed according to a message that Matsuoka posted on the district website.

Although the district placed Measure A on the ballot, the campaign had to be led by the community, especially parents. The Saratoga campaign was run by Shinku Sharma and Cathie Thermond.

Teachers, student and members of the community came together to work on the campaign. English teacher Natasha Ritchie did phone banking and hung door hangers.

“I’m glad that I did my part, I feel like you can only get something like that passed if the staff, teachers and parents are all working together to make that happen,” Ritchie said.

“There was a lot of heart that went into the campaign, a lot of hard work,” Sharma said. “But I tell you the community just rallied. People care and it think it’s that good-will that came through [on election day].”

In an email to district staff, superintendent Cary Matsuoka said that they “each played a part in this historic step for our district by [their] support of Measure A, and the work [they] do to make our district such a great place for students.”