PAUSD superintendent Mary Frances Callan will hold a community discussion regarding the June school parcel tax at 7 p.m. tonight at El Carmelo Elementary school.

According to the superintendent’s message on the district’s website, the district’s proposed parcel tax aims to compensate for insufficient property tax revenues, to reinstate instructional supplies, student support, staff training, etc., and to maintain smaller class size. "This parcel tax is necessary," Callan states, "to continue to provide the educational program our community expects and deserves."

Current supporters of the proposal include such school affiliated groups such as the Palo Alto Educators Association, Palo Alto Unified School District, Parent Teachers Association, and the California School Employees Association.

Midtown community leader Tom Ashton and software engineer Wayne Martin led much of the opposition to the November parcel tax.

“There’s a strong correlation between housing prices and the quality of the school system,” said Gail Price, a member of the board of education. “Realtors have been very involved in everything we’ve ever done.” According to Price, the applications of the proposition extend past educational associations to the business community — to anyone concerned with Palo Alto property values.

The current parcel tax of $293 will expire in 2006. Last November, the district’s attempt to pass a $521 parcel tax failed, gaining 66.03% of the 66.6% vote required. The impending expiration of the old parcel tax made agreement upon a new one expedient, and so the board voted unanimously to place the new
tax on the June ballot. It is set at $493, perhaps small enough to sway half of a percent of Palo Alto voters.

In addition to reducing the size of the parcel tax, its drafters have reduced its duration from eight years to six years. “People realize how important this parcel tax is," Price said. "There was a lot of attention paid to the ballot language.”

Time will tell whether this year’s proposal achieves two-thirds’ approval. “A lot of people just assumed it [November’s parcel tax] would pass, and they diverted their energies elsewhere,” said Cathy Kroymann, the chairman of the Board of Education.

The community discussion concerning June’s parcel tax will be held at El Carmelo Elementary school at 7 p.m. on March 24 in the multipurpose room.