A phone call from the Contra Costa County Registrar of Voters Office last Thursday afternoon set in motion a flurry of activity that resulted in an emergency meeting of the Board 24 hours later. At that meeting the Board took action to place a parcel tax initiative on the May 19 state special election ballot.
As reported in last week’s Monday Memo, the Board adopted a resolution at its February 10 meeting to place the following proposition before the voters:
“To provide all students with a quality education, including reading, writing, math and science; ensure reliable, local funding to protect against harmful state budget cuts; attract and retain quality teachers; maintain vital college and work force preparation programs; and enhance classroom technology; shall the Mount Diablo Unified School District be authorized to levy $99 per parcel annually, with no funding for district office administrator salaries, an exemption for seniors and strict monitoring by an independent citizen oversight committee?”
At its regular meeting on February 24 the Board will hold a public hearing on the resolution establishing a parcel tax and ratify the action taken at its February 20 emergency session.
The call from the Registrar’s Office saved Mt. Diablo UDS up to $750,000. By revising its February 10 resolution and submitting it to the Registrar by 5 p.m. on Friday, February 20, the Board was able to include the parcel tax initiative in a newly announced statewide special election on May 19 rather than finance a special election just for District voters in June.
The parcel tax campaign is now under way. It is—and must be—separate from and independent of the school district. A citizens’ committee, Community United for Excellent Schools (CUES), has been formed. Those interested in information from CUES can send an e-mail to schoolmeasure@gmail.com. .
No District funds or resources of any kind may be allocated to the campaign, though informational materials may be disseminated. Guidelines explaining what the District, its employees, and parent organizations may and may not do during a political campaign are posted on the MDUSD web page, www.mdusd.org in the News Room and available in the Superintendent’s Office.