League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Santa Barbara County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Measure A2012 Education Funding Santa Barbara High School District Parcel Tax - 2/3 Approval Required Pass: 55320 / 69.86% Yes votes ...... 23870 / 30.14% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure A2012

Arguments Against Measure A2012

Everyone wins when we have successful schools. Successful schools increase property values and enhance the local economy. Every dollar invested in our local public schools yields almost double that in return. Unfortunately our schools have been decimated by budget cuts and mandates from the state. Four years ago, our community chose overwhelmingly to take matters into its own hands and voted to fund music, arts, math, science and technology programs. We voted "yes" to take control of how local revenues are spent in our junior high and high schools. With our votes we provided critical funding for local education. Measure A extends this support, which will otherwise expire, and saves this critical funding that: cannot be taken by the state; requires ALL funds be used locally in the Santa Barbara Unified School District; cannot be spent on administrator salaries and benefits; requires mandatory independent citizen oversight. By voting for Measure A2012 our junior high and high school students will continue to benefit from: Essential math, science, and technology programs Music, art, and theater programs Vital foreign language courses Updated computer and educational technologies Career skill courses for job readiness To be clear, these programs will no longer exist without the passage of Measure A2012. By continuing this funding we are ensuring that our youth have more of the tools they will need to become productive, creative, and successful members of our community. Not only are our youth our future workforce, homebuyers, business owners, and taxpayers; they are the very future of our community and of our nation. Supporting Measure A2012 is a critical investment in our youth and their education and provides local control. Measure A2012 enhances the quality of life for everyone in our community, now and for generations to come. Please join us and vote Yes on Measure A2012. The undersigned authors of the argument in favor of Ballot Measure A2012 at the General Election for the Santa Barbara Unified School District to be held on November 6, 2012, hereby state that such argument is true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief. Jean Blois, Former school board member, Goleta Union School District Gay Milligin, Real Estate Broker Name William J. Cirone, Superintendent, Santa Barbara County Education Office Mary Jo Hartle, President, Santa Barbara Music Club, Chamber Music Society of Santa Barbara Name Kristen Kovacs, President, Santa Barbara Area Council of PTAs Rebuttal to Arguments For Among the falsehoods cited by the supporters of Measure A2012 is the assertion that essential math, science and foreign language programs will no longer exist without its passage. Parcel taxes are less than 1% of all revenue sources, hardly an amount that would jeopardize these programs. It is also untrue that this Measure would require independent citizen oversight The school committee appoints all overseers and there is no independent audit of the expenditures. Much more effective than the small amount of revenue generated by this Measure would be implementing the far-reaching reforms many of us have advocated for many years. If the schools weren't saddled with the devastating lifetime tenure and seniority rules, we wouldn't have had the sad spectacle of dismissing the Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year a few years ago. Eliminating bureaucracy (County Education Office) and overhauling ineffective curriCulum would have far greater benefit than imposing new taxes. If anyone thinks this tax is not burdensome, I would urge you to examine your property tax statement and add up all the parcel taxes. Not only will property owners face higher taxes but renters will undoubtedly see their rents go up as well. Your school committee has hired very expensive consultants with your tax dollars to bamboozle the voters. The committee placed a similar measure on the ballot last June so voters wouldn't be voting on this and other tax initiatives by Governor Brown and Mayor Schneider at the same time. Without essential reform, please vote no. The undersigned author of the rebuttal argument in favor of ballot measure A2012 at the General Election for the Santa Barbara Unified School District to be held on November 6, 2012 hereby state that the argument is true and correct to the best of his knowledge and belief. s/Lou Segal Small business owner and long-time resident of Santa Barbara

Although the voters in the Santa Barbara School istrJtnave been bombarded with urgent and dire warnings that a defeat of MeasureAwill have severe consequences for their children, I urge you to ignore these pleas and to send a powerful message to the Santa Barbara School Board and the entrenched bureaucracy running our schools by voting NO.oos It is an indisputable fact that our public schools have not kept pace with other countries, and our children are falling behind in an increasingly global marketplace for highly skilled and high-paying jobs. In 2009, American 15-year-olds were 31st in math and 23rd in science in the world. Incredibly, over 70% of students graduating high schools in Santa Barbara and other cities in California and attending community colleges were inadequately prepared for college courses, and had to be placed in remedial English and/or math courses. The reason for this dismal performance is not because our schools have not extracted more money from financially burdened taxpayers, but because they are badly in need of major reforms that the bureaucracy, the teacher unions and their allies have mightily resisted. There is no plausible reason why teachers are granted lifetime tenure, are paid based on seniority and are effectively shielded from any reasonable measures to evaluate their performance. It is a disgrace that these practices along with an antiquated curriculum are allowed to continue, while many of our children are graduating our public schools barely able to write a coherent sentence or perform basic math. I urge all voters to send a powerful and compelling message to the school board that they will not fork over their hard earned money until major REFORMS are enacted. Don't let the highly paid consultants hired with your tax dollars convince you otherwise. The undersigned author of the argument against Ballot Measure 2012 at the Presidential General Election to be held on November 6, 2012, hereby state that such argument is true and correctto the best of his knowledge and belief. Lou Segal Small business owner and long-time resident of Santa Barbara Rebuttal to Arguments Against REBUTTAL TO ARGUMENT AGAINST MEASURE A2012 Measure A2012 is about investing in the junior high and high school youth of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Montecito. In this era of continued state budget cuts, Measure A2012 is about maintaining high-quality educational programs in our public secondary schools, with funds that are locally controlled. Voters in 2008 overwhelmingly approved Measure H knowing that dedicated local funding improves student achievement. Now, four years later the successes of Measure A have never been more evident. The facts speak for themselves: over 50% of graduates from Santa Barbara Unified School District's high schools have already met the university of California eligibility requirements versus 34% for the rest of Santa Barbara County; 11th and 12th grade students in Santa Barbara Unified School District high schools score over 50 points higher in all SAT college entrance exams as compared to the rest of the. state of California; Graduates of the class of 2012 will be attending every University of California, every California State University, MIT, Harvard, Harvey Mudd, Cornell, Princeton, Yale, Claremont McKenna, Columbia, Stanford, University of Southern California and many other colleges and universities in the United States and around the world; Over 50% of Santa Barbara Unified School District high school students in the class of 2013 will be enrolled as 12th graders in a college level English class. The undersigned authors of the argument in favor of Ballot Measure A2012 at the General Election for the Santa Barbara Unified School District to be held on November 6, 2012, hereby state that such argument is true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief.Barbara Unified School District for another four years. David E. Cash, Superintendent, Santa Barbara Unified School District William J. Cirone, Superintendent, Santa Barbara County Education Office Maya Upton, Santa Barbara High School Parent & PTA President Peter MacDougall, President Emeritus of Santa Barbara City College Joseph Campanell, parent of two recent SBHS graduates, Direcotr, Santa Barbara Contractors Education Foundation We owe it to our students to continue to provide the educational enhancements and programs provided by Measure H. By voting YES on Measure A2012 you will be ensuring the continued success of our students throughout the Santa Name

Full Text of Measure A2012

Resolution No. 2011/2012-64 RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE SANTA BARBARA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT CALLING AN ELECTION FOR VOTER APPROVAL OF A EC0NDARYEDUCATION PARCELTAX, ESTABLISHING SPECIFICATIONS OF THE ELECTION ORDER, AND REQUESTING TO CONSOLIDATE THIS ELECTION WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 6, 2012 WHEREAS, the Santa Barbara Unified School District (the "District") is committed to offering a high-quality educational program to all students in the District, and due to inadequate state funding, increased local revenues are necessary to meet this goal; WHEREAS, California Constitution, Article XIIlA, section 4, and Government Code sections 50075 et seq. authorize the District, upon approval of a two-thirds vote of the electorate, to levy qualified special taxes on property in the District for the purpose of providing quality education programs in the District and other lawful purposes of the District; WHEREAS, an adequately funded and well-developed public education program provides numerous benefits and advantages to all of the residents of the community; WHEREAS, in the judgment of the District's Board of Education (the "Board"), following public hearing and comment, it is advisable to request that the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters (the "County Registrar") call an election and submit to the voters of the District the question of whether the District shall implement a special tax levy to be known as the secondary education parcel tax, within the District for the purpose of raising additional revenue for the District; WHEREAS, pursuant to Educational Code section 5342 and Elections Code sections 0400, 10402, and 10403 such election may be completely or partially consolidated with any other election.held on the same day and in the territory or territory that is in part the same; WHEREAS, none of the money levied would be used for administrator salaries or benefits; WHEREAS, secondary charter schools authorized by the District would share in the funding, proportional to the enrollment of secondary charter students in Santa Barbara Unified School District secondary schools; WHEREAS, with independent financial audits and a mandatory independent citizens' oversight committee the funds will be monitored to make sure they are spent properly; WHEREAS, senior citizens, many of whom live on fixed income, may be exempt from the measure; WHEREAS, the measure raises dedicated local revenue the state cannot remove from local control; WHEREAS, with billions of dollars in educational funding cuts from the State budget, our schools need local revenue to help pay for the necessary programs to educate our children; WHEREAS, the measure provides a stable and consistent funding source for our local school needs; WHEREAS, the District will make no commitments beyond four years to maintain programs paid for by the parcel tax; WHEREAS, the operating expenses of programs paid for by the parcel tax would not exceed the normal indirect rate permitted by the state. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Education of the Santa Barbara Unified School District as follows: Section 1. Recitals. The Board finds and determines that the foregoing recitals are true and correct. Section 2. Purposes of the Tax. The Board hereby proposes to adopt a secondary education parcel tax in order to continue providing dedicated local funding that will otherwise expire for our junior high and high schools for the purposes of: Maintaining and protecting math, science, and technology education; Maintaining and protecting music, arts and theater programs; Maintaining and protecting foreign language at the secondary level; Augmenting career skills courses that provide job readiness; Attracting and retaining quality teachers without funding administrator salaries or benefits; and Protecting the taxpayers' investment in education and ensuring District accountability by providing for a mandatory citizens oversight committee and independent financial audits of revenues and expenditures. Pursuant to Government Code section 50075.1, the Board determines that the proceeds of the secondary education parcel tax shall only be applied for the purposes stated above. Section 3. Amount and Duration of the Tax. The secondary education parcel tax shall be a parcel tax of $45 per year assessed against each Parcel. As used herein, the term "Parcel" means any parcel of land that lies wholly or partially within the boundaries of the District, for which the Assessor of the County of Santa Barbara, as applicable, has assigned an assessor's parcel number. The special tax shall be levied in each fiscal year for four (4) years beginning in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2013 and ending in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2016. Section 4. Method of Collection. Subject to voter approval as set forth below, the secondary education parcel tax shall be levied in the manner described herein and shall be collected with and subject to the same interest and penalties as general ad valorem taxes collected by the Santa Barbara County Treasurer and Tax Collector, as applicable. In accordance with the requirements of Government Code section 50075.1(c), the District shall create a separate restricted fund into which the proceeds of the special tax shall be deposited. Pursuant to the California Government code section 50079 (b), any owners who are 65 years of age or older of a Parcel used solely for owner-occupied, single-family residential purposes may obtain an exemption from the secondary education parcel tax by annually submitting an application by June 15 of each year to the District's Board in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the Board. Section 5. Appropriations Limit. The Board shall provide in each year (pursuant to Government Code section 7902.1) for any increase in the District's appropriations limit as shall be necessary to ensure that proceeds of the secondary educational parcel tax may be spent for the authorized purposes. Section 6. Election Order; Ballot Measure. Pursuant to Government Code sections 50079 and 50077, an election shall be held within the District's boundaries on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, submitting to the voters of the District the measure as set forth in Exhibit B hereto, which, if approved by at least two-thirds of the voters voting on the measure, will take effect on July 1, 2013. Exhibit B hereto shall comprise the full text of the measure. Section 7. Abbreviated Statement of the Measure. Pursuant to Elections Code section 13247, the statement of the measure submitted to the voters shall be abbreviated on the ballot as setforth in Exhibit A hereto, to read as follows: "To offset severe state budget cuts to our junior high and high schools and continue providing dedicated local funding that will otherwise expire for math, science, technology, music, arts, foreign language and theater, and to augment career skills courses, shall Santa Barbara Unified School District levy an annual $45 secondary parcel tax for four years, that can't be taken away by the state, with exemptions available for seniors, mandatory independent oversight, and no funds for administrator salaries or benefits?" Yes No Section 8. Changes to Text. The District's Superintendent, or designee, is hereby authorized and directed to make any changes to the text of the measure, or to the abbreviated statement of the measure, as may be convenient or necessary to cornply with the intent of this Resolution, the requirements of elections officials, and the requirements of law. Section 9. Consolidation with Other Elections. Pursuant to Education Code sections 5342 and Part 3 (commencing with Section 10400) of Division 10 of the Elections Code, the County of Santa Barbara is requested to order consolidation of the parcel tax election with the Presidential Election to be held on November 6, 2012, in the same territory or in territory that is in part the same. Section 10. County Officials to Call and Conduct Election. Pursuant to Education Code sections 5302 and 5303, the Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools and the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters are hereby requested to take all steps to call and hold the election in accordance with law and these specifications. Unified SCHOOL DISTRICT Section 11. Canvass of Returns. The Board of Supervisors of Santa Barbara County is authorized to canvass the returns of the election pursuant to Elections Code section 10411. Section 12. Services of Registrar of Voters. Pursuant to Education Code section 5303 and Elections Code section 10002, the Board hereby requests that the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters render all services specified by Elections Code section 10418 relating to the election, including, but not limited to, printing and mailing sample ballots, arguments and applications for absentee ballots, canvassing election returns and certifying the results of the election to the Board. The Board hereby agrees to reimburse the County of Santa Barbara in full for any services performed for the District upon presentation of an invoice to the District. Section 13. Specifications of the Election Order. The foregoing specifications of the election order are made pursuant to Education Code section 5322. Section 14. Delivery of Specifications of the Election Order. Pursuant to Education Code section 5322, the Secretary of the Board is hereby directed to deliver, not later than Thursday, June 28, 2012 a copy of this Resolution to the Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools and the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters and, pursuant to Elections Code section 10403, a copy of this resolution to the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. Section 15. Formal Notice of Election. The Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools is hereby requested to prepare and execute a Formal Notice of Election (the "Notice of Election") containing the information specified in Education Code section 5361, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. The District hereby requests the Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, in accordance with Education Code section 5362, to post a copy of Notice of Election in public view at every schoolhouse in the District and at three public places within the District not later than 90 days prior to the date of the election, or otherwise cause the notice to be published as permitted by law. Section 16. Severability. If any section, subsection, phrase or clause of this Resolution is for any reason found to be invalid, such section, subsection, phrase or clause shall be severed from, and shall not affect the validity of, all remaining portions of this Resolution that can be given effect without the severed portion. Section 17. Ballot Argument. The members of the District's Board are hereby authorized, but not directed, to prepare and file with the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters/Elections Department a ballot argument in favor of the measure contained in Section 7 hereof, within the time established. Section 1B. General Authorization with Respect to the Election. The members of the District's Board, the District's Superintendent, and the other officers of the District, and each of them individually, are hereby authorized and directed to do any and all things and to execute, deliver, and perform any and all agreements and documents that they deem necessary or advisable in order to effectuate the purposes of this Resolution. All actions heretofore taken by the officers and agents of the District that are in conformity with the purposes and intent of this Resolution are hereby ratified, confirmed, and approved in all respects. The foregoing Resolution was adopted by the Board of Education of the Santa Barbara l,Jnified School District on June 26, 2012, by the following vote: The foregoing Resolution was adopted by the Board of Education of the Santa Barbara Unified School District on June 26, 2012, by the following vote: AYES: 5 NOES 0: Susan Deacon, President, Board of Education, Santa Barbara Unified School District Attest: Clerk, Board of Education Santa Barbara Unified School District