League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Santa Clara County, CA November 3, 2009 Election
	Mark Goines Answers Questions Candidate for Board Member; Los Altos School District

The questions were prepared by the the League of Women Voters of Los Altos/Mtn. View Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What ideas do you have for handling Bullis Charter School's request for a junior high school?

We need to offer them appropriate space when they begin the program, which is no earlier than 2010, likely on the Egan Campus. Ideally the Charter School agrees to become part of the Los Altos School Districts governing body to allow for more cooperation and open communication.

2. Would you support an election for an additional parcel tax? Please explain why.

I believe we need to increase our parcel tax by 200 to 300 per parcel to support the increasing costs of delivering education, particularly given the states difficulties and the needs of the Charter School.

3. Basic aid districts are recommended to maintain a higher reserve due to the volatility and unpredictability of property tax revenues. The LASD Citizens Advisory Committee on Finance recommended to the Board of Trustees building reserves up to the 8% to 10% range. This will be difficult as the district is facing decreasing revenues. Do you agree with building the reserves and how would you go about it?

We should build our reserves to this range by managing costs tightly and reaching agreements with our employees on how to keep cost increases in line with revenue growth and program development requirements. Luckily, we will be near 8% this year by virtue of last years difficult cost reduction efforts.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' responses are not edited or corrected by the League.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 12, 2009 13:21
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