Fail: 3,016 / 62.6% Yes votes ...... 1,799 / 37.4% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

The District is proposing to levy a special tax of $88 per year on each parcel of taxable real property in the District, for a period of seven years, commencing on July 1, 2008.

Proceeds of the tax would be placed in a special fund and could only be used for the purposes set out in the measure, which include maintaining class size reduction programs in grades K-3 and 9; maintaining and enhancing arts programs, including visual, performing arts, and music programs; maintaining Advanced Placement programs at Healdsburg High School; maintaining or enhancing high school counseling services; maintaining or enhancing middle school and high school athletic programs; maintaining or enhancing technology programs and infrastructure; and providing other financial support to the extent funds remain, to maintain the District's academic programs and educational environment, including using funds for the purchase of instructional equipment, materials, and supplies. No funds will be used for office administrator salaries or salaries of individual school site principals.

Based on total enrollment in each school, tax revenue will be apportioned among the Healdsburg Unified School District, the Alexander Valley Elementary School District, and the Westside Elementary School District. The Alexander Valley Elementary School District and the Westside Elementary School District may spend their portion of the tax proceeds on any lawful purpose designated by the board of each district, including purposes such as maintaining academic programs and facilities, or purchasing instructional equipment, materials, and supplies.

Each year that tax funds remain unspent, an independent financial auditor will prepare and present a report to the Board of Trustees stating (1) the amount of funds received and expended during the prior year, and (2) the status of any projects or description of any programs funded by the tax. The report must be filed by December 31 of each year. The period covered by the report may be a fiscal or calendar year, or other appropriate annual period, as determined by the Superintendent.

The tax would be applied to each unit of real property in the District that receives a separate tax bill for property taxes. Multiple parcels that are contiguous and are part of one economic unit under the same name and ownership and that do not receive separate tax bills would be charged as one parcel. Parcels which are exempt from property tax, or on which no property tax is otherwise levied, are also exempt from this tax. Themeasure also exempts parcels owned or partially owned and occupied by a person who is 65 years of age or older. Applications for exemptions should be filed with the District, under procedures the Board of Trustees will establish.

If two-thirds of the voters in the Healdsburg Unified School District who vote on this measure vote "yes," the measure will pass and the special tax will be levied. The tax would be collected in the same manner as regular property taxes.

STEVEN WOODSIDE
County Counsel

By: s/ Kathleen Larocque
Deputy County Counsel

By voting for Measure H, you will protect the following vital programs: small, intimate class sizes in primary grades and 9th grade English and math; extensive Advanced Placement class offerings at Healdsburg High School; music, visual and performing arts opportunities at all schools; comprehensive, competitive athletic programs; academic and career counseling services to prepare Healdsburg students for graduation and beyond; and technology and its integration into all classrooms to prepare Healdsburg students for the 21st century.

Measure H provides an exemption for parcels owned by senior citizens and for people who own two or more contiguous parcels. Measure H costs property owners less than 25 cents per day, but raises more than $500,000 per year for Healdsburg area schools. It is authorized for only 7 years. Every penny stays in our community and cannot be taken by Sacramento or used for district administration. Please join parents, teachers, business leaders and other concerned, responsible citizens by investing in our children and our community.

Vote Yes on Measure H.

s/ Anne Schroeder Parent,
HUSD Board President

s/ Paul Deas Parent,
Businessman, Trustee

s/ Mike McGuire
Healdsburg City Councilman

HEALDSBURGTEACHERS'ASSOCIATION
s/ Barbara Pinney, President

The Healdsburg Unified School District (the "District") is committed to preserving quality in educational programs and providing the best possible education to its students in all grades; and

Funding from the State of California (the "State") has not been adequate to meet these goals, and the District has no assurance that State funding will permit the District to meet these goals in the future. Funding from the Federal Government is insufficient to meet these goals, and the District has no assurance that Federal funding will permit the District to meet these goals in the future.

Other continued efforts by the District to generate funds for the District's educational programs - including lobbying the State Legislature, soliciting contributions of money, equipment, and software from local businesses and charitable foundations, and budget cuts - cannot produce sufficient revenues to maintain and improve the educational programs District students need and deserve for their academic success.

In order to continue meeting the educational needs of all of the District's students, the District believes it is necessary to request voters to authorize a parcel tax in the amount of $88 per year per taxable parcel, to be collected beginning July 1, 2008.

The District provides high school education to students throughout the greater Healdsburg area, and provides elementary school services to students who reside in the former Healdsburg Elementary School District, but not to students in Alexander Valley Elementary School District or Westside Elementary School District.

In order to accomplish an equitable distribution of the proceeds of the proposed tax, this measure contains a formula to divide the parcel tax proceeds equally on the basis of student enrollment in the District, the Westside Elementary School District and the Alexander Valley Elementary School District.

Terms and Purposes. Upon approval of two-thirds of those voting on this measure, the District shall be authorized to and shall levy a qualified special tax of $88 per year on each parcel of taxable real property in the District, for a period limited to seven years commencing July 1, 2008. The qualified special tax shall be known and referred to as the "2008 Education Parcel Tax." Proceeds of the 2008 Education Parcel Tax shall be authorized to be used to provide financial support to school programs in Healdsburg Unified School District, as follows:

to maintain class size reduction programs in grades K-3 and 9; maintain and enhance arts programs, including visual, performing arts, and music programs; maintain Advanced Placement programs at Healdsburg High School; maintain or enhance high school counseling services; maintain or enhance middle school and high school athletic programs; and maintain or enhance technology programs and infrastructure;

and to provide other financial support to the extent of available funds to maintain the District's academic programs and educational environment, including for purchase of instructional equipment, materials and supplies; but excluding any funding for District office administrator salaries or individual school site principals.

Tax Sharing. Each year, the District shall apportion the proceeds of the 2008 Education Parcel Tax to each of Healdsburg Unified School District, Alexander Valley Elementary School District and Westside Elementary School District pro rata on the basis of total enrollment. Notwithstanding the limitations on the uses of tax proceeds by the District set forth above, Westside Elementary School District and Alexander Valley Elementary School District may apply their respective portions of the tax proceeds to any lawful purpose as the board of each district shall determine, including, but not limited to, maintaining academic programs and facilities, or purchasing instructional equipment, materials and supplies.

Senior Citizen Exemption. In order to provide tax relief to senior citizens in the community, any parcel owned and occupied by a person 65 years of age or older shall be exempt from the 2008 Education Parcel Tax upon proper application to the District. The exemption shall be available pursuant to procedures to be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or otherwise as required by law or by the Sonoma County Tax Collector.

Contiguous Parcel Exemption. In order to provide tax relief to owners of contiguous parcels of land in the District, any owner of two or more contiguous parcels of land in the District shall only be obligated to pay a 2008 Education Parcel Tax with respect to one of the contiguous parcels of land upon proper application to the District. The exemption shall be available pursuant to procedures to be prescribed by the Board of Trustees or otherwise as required by law or by the Sonoma County Tax Collector.

Annual Audit. Upon the levy and collection of the 2008 Education Parcel Tax, the Board of Trustees shall cause an account to be established for deposit of the proceeds. For so long as any proceeds of the 2008 Education Parcel Tax remain unexpended, the Superintendent of the District shall cause a report to be filed with the Board of Trustees no later than December 31 of each year, commencing December 31, 2009, stating (1) the amount of 2008 Education Parcel Tax received and expended in such year, and (2) the status of any projects or description of any programs funded from proceeds of the tax. The report may relate to the calendar year, fiscal year, or other appropriate annual period, as the Superintendent shall determine, and may be incorporated into or filed with the annual budget, audit, or other appropriate routine report to the Board of Trustees.

Specific Purposes. All of the purposes named in the measure shall constitute the specific purposes of the 2008 Education Parcel Tax, and proceeds of the tax shall be applied only for such purposes.

"Parcel of taxable real property" shall be defined as any unit of real property in the District which receives a separate tax bill for ad valorem property taxes from the Sonoma County Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office. All property which is otherwise exempt from or on which are levied no ad valorem property taxes in any year shall also be exempt from the 2008 Education Parcel Tax in such year. In addition, parcels owned and occupied by persons 65 years of age or older and certain contiguous parcels of land may be exempt from the 2008 Education Parcel Tax as described above.

The District shall annually provide a list of parcels which the District has approved for a senior citizen exemption and for a contiguous parcel exemption from the 2008 Education Parcel Tax as described above to the Sonoma County tax collection officials. The Sonoma County Assessor's determination of exemption or relief for any reason of any parcel from taxation, other than through the senior citizen exemption or the contiguous parcel exemption, shall be final and binding for the purposes of the 2008 Education Parcel Tax. Taxpayers wishing to challenge the County Assessor's determination must do so under the procedures for correcting a misclassification of property pursuant to Section 4876.5 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code or other applicable procedures. Taxpayers seeking a refund of 2008 Education Parcel Taxes paid shall follow the procedures applicable to property tax refunds pursuant to the California Revenue and Taxation Code.

The Board of Trustees hereby declares, and the voters by approving this measure concur, that every section, paragraph, sentence and clause of this measure has independent value, and the Board of Trustees and the voters would have adopted each provision hereof regardless of every other provision hereof. Upon approval of this measure by the voters, should any part be found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid for any reason, all remaining parts hereof shall remain in full force and effect to the fullest extent allowed by law.