Menlo Park school district wants to hear from public

A special meeting to hear public comment on the Menlo Park City School District’s long-term financial planning will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 6, in the district’s TERC room, 181 Encinal Ave. in Atherton.

An earlier meeting on the topic was held in October. District officials say they are looking for community input on priorities and other topics.

District officials say subjects they’d like public comment on include:

• How should MPCSD respond to the latest enrollment projections that show a flatter growth rate as a result of lower birthrates and increased cost of housing?

• As a community-funded district, MPCSD is dependent on increasing property tax growth for increased funding; increased enrollment does not bring in more revenue. When property tax revenues increase beyond the budgeted amount, how should MPCSD plan for those funds?

• What impact is local housing development and growth of Stanford University likely to have on MPCSD and how should the district respond?

• To what degree does increasing salary and benefits of teachers and staff encourage staff to stay in the area and remain teaching and working in MPCSD?

• How should MPCSD compare with its neighboring districts in terms of quality of program, class size, salary and benefits of staff, and workplace culture and climate?

• The MPCSD will embark on drafting a compensation philosophy that will inform future planning. What should the long-term compensation philosophy include?

• What impact is the state’s increasing pension burden likely to have on MPCSD in the short and long term? How should the district respond and plan?

• In years with stronger economic growth, school districts often receive additional one-time funds from the state. When one-time monies are provided to the MPCSD, how should the district spend those funds?

• Under what conditions would MPCSD need to request a renewal and/or increase of its current parcel tax level prior to the 2023 expiration of Measure X?

Find more information on the district’s website, or send comments to info@mpcsd.org.

By Barbara Wood

By Barbara Wood

By Barbara Wood