School parcel tax for March election

An $87 annual parcel tax will go before San Bruno voters next year to help the school district with a loss of cash flow.

Faced with the loss of more than $1 million in the upcoming school year, the San Bruno Park School District began researching ideas to reduce the impact as well as create income for future years. An $87 annual parcel tax lasting seven years on the November ballot was originally before the Board of Trustees. However, the board voted 3-1-1, with Trustee Jim Prescott absent, to move the vote to March allowing more time to educate the community. If passed, proceeds would not begin benefiting the district until the 2009-2010 school year.

Trustee Russ Hanley suggested the delay noting that school is out and rallying parents and school staff will be difficult. Moving the vote to March gives the district more time to work together.

Trustees Jennifer Blanco and Kevin Martinez supported Hanley's idea.

"This is an important thing for the district," Martinez said.

Board President Skip Henderson, the lone dissenting vote, felt the economy would sway voters from supporting such a measure. Henderson suggested delaying the boards decision to go to voters given the new date.

Hanley, who has long been open to the idea of a parcel tax, wasn't willing to table the conversation until another time.

There were no estimates as to how much such a tax would generate for the district. If passed, there would be an exemption for senior citizens.

San Bruno is not alone in considering a parcel tax.

It appears the Millbrae Elementary School District parcel tax was narrowly defeated on last week's ballot. The San Carlos and Belmont-Redwood Shores elementary school districts are also discussing potential parcel taxes.

A parcel tax is not the only way the district is planning to address potential budget cuts. Legislation is currently being discussed to allow the district to loan itself money from the revenue of selling Carl Sandburg Elementary.

The school was closed in 1978 and sold in 2005 for $30.5 million. State law restricts how a district can use the proceeds from the sale of property to capital improvement projects. State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, is proposing Senate Bill 1447, which would allow the district to borrow up to $1.4 million of the money only for the upcoming school year to be used for one-time expenses.

District leaders are also looking at taking hard hits within the administration. Among the potential cuts are the monthly stipends for members of the Board of Trustees, cutting a gardening position in half and eliminating a food services director position.