Looking forward to a property tax reduction as the schools adjust costs to reflect this reality.

This is exactly why ALL school parcel taxes should be for a fixed time period.

The enrollment projections used to justify the current and fourth MPCSD parcel tax were wrong.

If only the MPCSD's property tax increment had the same sacred cow status as the fire district's. But it doesn't; the reality is that the State of California controls local school district funding.

And as a practical matter, all supplemental parcel taxes are for a fixed time period. The failed initiative from last year or whenever it was proved that point.

"If only the MPCSD's property tax increment had the same sacred cow status as the fire district's. But it doesn't; the reality is that the State of California controls local school district funding. "

Wrong. The State does NOT control MPCSD funding since MPCSD is a Basic Aid school district. MPCSD is funded by property taxes and FOUR parcel taxes.

The Fire District is supported by property taxes and NO parcel taxes.

What about Ravenswood Elementary District? And Sequoia High School District?

The MPCSD should reduce teaching staff, pay down bond debt at an accelerated rate and lease excess facilities.

Peter,
Who do you think determines whether a school district is basic aid/LCFF in the first place? And for those school districts that aren't LCFF, guess where the additional funding comes from?

"determines whether a school district is basic aid/LCFF"

The amount of property tax received per pupil.

MPCSD's property tax revenue greatly exceeds the the revenue limit that would qualify MPCSD for funding under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF).

I am encouraged by the drop in enrollment, and hope it continues until government schools become "schools of last resort".

I am a signatory to the Proclamation of the "Alliance for the Separation of School & State." See: Web Link
See also their successor: Web Link and, Web Link


I consider Secular Humanism to be the de facto church propagated by our government schooling system.

disestablishmentarian

noun
1.
a person who favors the separation of church and state, especially the withdrawal of special rights, status, and support granted an established church by a state; an advocate of disestablishing a state church.

All y'all are being ignorant. Read the article. Menlo, Los Lomitas and Portola Valley are all NOT funded by the State budgets for the most part.

This happened because of a choice made nearly 40 years ago post Prop 13. It was a gamble that paid off because local tax revenue went up enough to leave these districts in control of their own destiny.

The MP reduction is small compared with the growth over the last decade.

MPCSD has actually been short funding from taxes for some time. But it is made up by donations to the Foundation. And still they are having problems balancing at the moment. We can talk all day about whether money is being spent correctly or not but a small reduction in students is a good thing for the MPCSD budget.

Should there be a surplus, paying down bond debt early seems wise. But that is unlikely at these small variances and given the above

Leasing out 'surplus' facilities wouldn't come into play in MP without a more significant reduction. And it would be a shame since so much bond money has been spent in the last decade to rebuild nearly all the physical infrastructure. Laurel Upper WAS leased out for decades until it was just rebuilt.

It is probably worth digging deeper to understand if this was predictable or just the result of factors outside of the data set. BTW, the reductions in PV and LL are the ones to be concerned about.

And yet again, Jack Hickey is off on his usual public-education-needs-to-be-abolished jihad.

But now, we have this gem: "I consider Secular Humanism to be the de facto church propagated by our government schooling system."

No proof, of course.

But can we expect anything less from someone who actually thinks Betsy DeVos is doing a *good* job?

Not a single thought as to whether it is bad that the housing costs have grown so much that it is causing young families to leave (and/or not move here)? That would seem to be bad from my perspective.

Why aren’t we building more high density lower cost housing (without parking or with very low parking) near caltrain?

"Why aren’t we building more high density lower cost housing (without parking or with very low parking) near caltrain?"

You haven't been around here long have you? Every time any development is proposed the "no birds" go into full song screaming about how it will ruin the "village atmosphere" of MP. Never mind we're a city of 35,000. Never mind it leaves vacant lots sitting as eyesores for years and years. Never mind that it makes the cost of housing here exorbitant. Nope, they've got theirs, to hell with everyone else.

The bigger issue is that voters were lied to by school officials who predicted higher enrollments.

Those false predictions justified more hiring and massive capital spending.

Some background info in support of my contention that Secular Humanism is the de facto state religion being propagated by our government schooling system.

Web Link

it should be noted that a parcel tax approval places a limit on how much can be charged and does not require that the entire approved amount be charged each year.

if enrollmentts do not increase as was predicted the Board could reduce the amount of the next year's parcel tax charge.

@Jack Hickey -- Posting from a whackjob website is NOT the way to make a serious case. Ever.

Try again, only this time, quote from a serious, non-whackjob source.

2013 was the last year of transitional kindergarten (TK) in MPCSD. Are the numbers available without TK so we can compare apples to apples?

Maybe we can rethink that 70-100 million dollar bond issue in PV, hmmm?

Jack pushing vouchers again - education welfare for rich and middle class, screw the poor who couldn't afford private schools even with vouchers.

You got yours, eh jack?

Selfish.

Oops, my bad! I misspelled "libertarian" again.

Where can one get a copy of this report?

I believe this link will take you to the report, posted on the district's website. Web Link