The Mercury News recently published an editorial that stated that San Bruno's $199 parcel tax deserves to be passed.
Simply put, the newspaper said Measure G—and several other bond measures on the ballot for four other San Mateo County school districts—is necessary to ensure that San Bruno schools are "equipped for 21st century learning," especially with Proposition 30 in doubt. Prop. 30 is Gov. Jerry Brown's ballot initiative that would tax the rich and increase the sales tax by a 1/4 cent for everyone in California.
The Mercury News further explained its position:
To deal with millions in state budget cuts, this eight-school district has increased class size to 31 and eliminated music and programs for the gifted. Staff hasn't gotten a raise since 2007.
It won't be clear precisely what these funds will pay for until the fate of Proposition 30 is known. But if the state and local measures fail, Superintendent David Hutt said, the district will likely have to cut "a significant number of days" from the school year.
The San Mateo Daily Journal also wrote an editorial on Measure G and stated that it opposes the parcel tax. The Daily Journal said the school district suffers from poor leadership and communication, and those deficiencies need to be fixed before any other ballot measure is passed.
Measure G, which would tax each parcel $199 annually for five years to generate about $2 million a year, is the first parcel tax to go before voters since the San Bruno Park School District opened. Voters rejected the school district's bond measure during the last election in November.
