Measure H Measure H (September 20, 2002)

By Candice Shih

Parents of children in the Los Altos School District are not kidding around this time. Although Measure A, a measure which would have increased the district's parcel tax from $264 to $597 per year, failed during last April's special election, they are at it again.

Measure H features the same $333 increase and senior exemption for residents over 65 as Measure A, and requires a two-thirds majority to pass.

But with more voters coming out for the general election this November -- and thus, more "yes" votes needed -- community leaders are working harder to get the message out.

Last Thursday, a campaign kickoff, punctuated by the 80-member Blach Intermediate School eighth-grade band, was held at Springer Camp School. The next step, said campaign executive committee member Debbie Torok, is to begin phoning local voters, walking precincts, and erecting lawn signs.

The campaign is costing over $100,000, said Torok. "We want to do it right."

She hopes to reach everybody in the Los Altos School District with the message that, without the parcel tax increase, the schools will face damaging, long-term cuts.

Without voter approval of the measure, say advocates, teachers will be permanently laid off, class sizes will increase, schools will consolidate, and library hours will be significantly reduced.

"We're not bluffing this time," said Board President Margot Harrigan. "The cuts will last for a long time."

After the failure of Measure A by 2 percent, parents in the school district raised over $2.6 million to restore teacher salaries and programs which would have otherwise been cut this year.

However, Measure H will need much more than parent support, said campaign consultant Jared Boigon. "The need is real. I think you need to explain that."
E-mail Candice Shih at cshih@mv-voice.com