Myth Debunking, Part 1

So, I often hear that the BCS "tuition ask" is forced upon them to make up for the shortfall in govt funding that they receive relative to LASD.  In case you might think that this is a " Facebook rumor " or something, you can scroll to the bottom of http://www.bullischarterschool.com//site/Default.aspx?PageID=13, and you will see BCS' own marketing of the situation:

• Why does The Foundation ask for donations?

   LASD Trustees choose not to share all public funds received with BCS, so LASD students at BCS receive dramatically less public funding ($4,200 less) than LASD students enrolled in its traditional schools. BCS nevertheless offers a full range of enrichment programs at nearly the same cost per student as LASD traditional schools.

  Or, you can check their funding request levels for their foundation:

  
  

  

  
  

  So, I thought to myself, "I wonder why LASD is choosing to not share this money", and I found the real numbers from the LASD 2013 -2014 budget:

  Total excess property tax/student - $1,155 (what LASD gets to keep because they generate more than the revenue limit, aka "basic aid" dollars)

  Total parcel tax/student - $2,197

  Total state/lottery/federal per student - $791

  Total LAEF/student - $584 

  Total PTA/rental income/interest/other misc per student - $448

  
  

   Okay, so  truth be told, these numbers do actually add up to 5k, but let's take a look at them a little bit more closely (from the bottom). 

  - the last $448 is PTA, of which there is one per LASD school, and BCS has their own, so we can subtract this.

  - LAEF $584 is the Los Altos Education Foundation, and I believe that BCS has their own education foundation too, which is presumably not being commingled for LASD students.

  So now, we're down to less than a 4k difference

  - state/lottery/fed $791 - Charter schools gets a smaller amount of the state/lottery/federal per student than regular schools, typically about 1/2 as much as regular districts. These funds can also be "categorical funds" and may have specific purposes.

  Also the charter school law only provides that they are entitled to the revenue limit, not the extra "basic aid" excess property taxes.

  - $1155 of excess property taxes per student (me thinks that an LASD charter, or maybe even a friendly one, might receive this). Probably not a "frienemy". 

  - parcel taxes of $2,197 per student. I agree that for everyone who lives in los altos, this should qualify for every public school student, but this is where things get a little dicey. BCS is chartered by the county, not LASD, and these parcel taxes were on behalf of LASD. For LASD to indescrimanently share these with another entity (a competitor, if you ask BCS) seems that it would be misleading to the tax payer. Here are the exact measures (courtesy of the LASD website):

  
  

  Original 1989 Ballot Measure
  
  The text of the original (1989) ballot measure is as follows – "Shall the Los Altos School District be authorized to implement a special tax and increase its Gann Appropriations Limit by the amount of revenue generated by that special tax?

  The rate for the first four years of the special tax shall be $168 per parcel per year, beginning July 1, 1989. In accordance with State law, the voters shall have the opportunity to approve the continuation of the increase in the Gann Appropriations Limit at least every four years. Such approval is required for the District to use the revenues generated by the tax. No later than two weeks after a Gann election, the Board shall reset the parcel tax rate, but may not set a rate higher than $168 per parcel per year.

  The purpose of the special tax is to:

  a) Repair buildings deteriorating because the District has lacked funds for regular preventive maintenance. These repairs include replacement of malfunctioning heating systems, replacement of roofs, painting and repaving;

  b) Avoid further cuts in the basic educational program;

  c) Reinstate some program cuts made in prior years, including restoration of library services, previous levels of supervision of students on school campuses, reinstatement of six classroom teaching positions, and basic textbook budgets.

  A parcel is defined as any parcel of land as shown on the then current assessment roll prepared by the Santa Clara County Assessor. The special tax shall be collected and enforced in the same manner prescribed by law for the collection of other taxes on the assessment role. All property that is exempt from the property tax will be exempt from this special tax.

  Senior Exemption: An exemption from the special tax shall be granted annually by the school district on any parcel owned by one or more persons 65 years of age or over who occupy said parcel as a principal residence, upon annual application for exemption.

  
  1997 Ballot Measure
  
  The text of the 1997 ballot measure is as follows – "Shall the Los Altos School District be authorized to increase their existing special tax and the Gann Appropriations Limit by the amount of revenue generated by that special tax?

  A rate of $96 per parcel shall be added to the existing rate of $168 per parcel beginning July 1, 1997. In accordance with State law, the voters shall have the opportunity to approve the continuation of the increase in the Gann Appropriations Limit at least every four years. No later than two weeks after a Gann Appropriations Limit election, the District Governing Board shall reset the parcel tax rate, but may not set a rate higher than $264 per parcel per year.

  The addition to the special tax is necessary to maintain programs at the same level as originally approved by voters eight years ago. The purpose of the special tax is to:

  • Provide basic educational program without cuts
  • Support class size reduction program
  • Preserve restored programs such as basic textbook budgets and libraries
  • Repair and maintain aging buildings

  A parcel is defined as any parcel of land as shown on the current assessment roll prepared by the Santa Clara County Assessor. The special tax shall be collected and enforced in the same manner prescribed by law for the collection of other taxes on the assessment role. All property that is exempt from the property tax will be exempt from this special tax.

  Senior Exemption: An exemption from the special tax shall be granted annually by the school district on any parcel owned by one or more persons 65 years of age or over who occupy said parcel as a principal residence, upon annual application for exemption."

  
  2002 Ballot Measure
  
  The text of the 2002 ballot measure is as follows - "To hire, train, retain teachers, provide competitive teacher salaries, fund school libraries, purchase textbooks, preserve science classes/modern labs, maintain neighborhood schools and small class size, protect junior high electives like music, foreign language, computer classes, and balance the educational program, shall Los Altos School District increase its existing parcel tax and annual appropriations limit by $333/parcel beginning July 1, 2003, with independent citizens' oversight of expenditures and exemptions for parcels owned/occupied by persons 65 years/older?

  In accordance with the State law, the voters shall have the opportunity to authorize district expenditures of revenue generated by this special tax every four years.

  A parcel is defined as any parcel of land as shown on the current assessment roll prepared by the Santa Clara County Assessor. The special tax shall be collected and enforced in the same manner prescribed by law for the collection of other taxes on the assessment roll. All property that is exempt from the property tax will be exempt from this special tax.

  An exemption from the special tax shall continue to be granted annually by the school district on any parcel owned by one or more persons 65 years of age or over who occupy said parcel as a principal residence, upon annual application for exemption."

  
  2006 Ballot Measure
  
  The text of the 2006 ballot measure is as follows - "Without changing the existing amount of the Los Altos School District's current parcel tax, and to allow the District to spend the money raised to fulfill the voter-approved purposes, including to hire and retain teachers, maintain small class sizes and protect junior high electives, shall the District's annual appropriations limit be extended for a period of four years beginning July 1, 2007, in the amount of the funds raised by this tax?"

  
  

  2nd Parcel Tax (2011)

  2011 Ballot Measure

  Voters approved a second parcel tax in 2011 that has a 6 year lifespan.  This tax is set at $193 per parcel and expires June 30, 2017.

  
  

  So, my biggest takeaway from doing this exercise is that "it's complicated".  For example, one could ask: "If LAEF/PTA donations and parcel taxes are used to fund additional facilities and/or  teacher/student ratio reductions AND then BCS receives their percentage allotment, isn't BCS, in fact, benefitting from these funding sources?!?"  

  I didn't find any obvious smoking guns to defend the argument that LASD is withholding money from BCS that is rightfully theirs.  I did find some grey areas of where LASD could be more generous, but the big question in my mind is "what would the taxpayer think", since LASD has to listen to ALL taxpayers, not just their parents. 

  I think that we all know the answer to this...