Editorial: Vote 'no' on Redwood City school tax

"Measure C is a June 2026 ballot measure proposing a parcel tax of 17.5 cents per square foot annually for eight years to raise $12.2 million for local TK-8 schools. The parcel tax would cost the owner of a 2,000-square-foot home would be $350 a year. The district closed four schools in response to declining enrollment. The money from no longer running those schools should have balanced the district's budget."

"But the district is seeking to raise taxes to cover pensions and its special education program. To cut costs, teachers should have agreed to reduce their platinum retirement benefits. And the special education program should be funded with state and federal dollars."

"Measure C parcel tax imposes an unnecessary financial burden on residents already facing high costs. The parcel tax, which lasts for eight years, asks homeowners to fix structural funding issues with more of their own money, while the district should instead be maximizing existing funds and demanding state support of special education."

"Taxpayers have already been generous with the school district, and now it is time for the district to manage its $158 million in revenue efficiently without asking the community for a bailout. We recommend a "no" vote on Measure C."

Measure C would place a parcel tax on Redwood City School District properties at 17.5 cents per square foot each year for eight years to raise $12.2 million for local TK-8 schools. A 2,000-square-foot home would pay $350 annually. The district previously closed four schools due to declining enrollment, and the closure revenue should have helped balance the budget. The proposed tax is sought to cover pension obligations and the special education program. The plan is criticized for shifting structural funding problems to residents instead of maximizing existing funds. The special education program is argued to be supportable through state and federal funding, and teacher retirement benefits are suggested as a cost-reduction area. A no vote is recommended.

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