Poll: Support for Redwood City school tax

Considering the significant budget challenges plaguing the district over the past few years, board President Dennis McBride said he was encouraged by the survey outcome and advocated for moving quickly to float the measure to voters.

“It’s very exciting news. We’ve come a long way from where people were not supportive to where people are very supportive,” he said.

No decision about pursuing the measure is slated to be made at the upcoming meeting, and officials have not yet discussed the initiative, as McBride made clear his interest in pursuing the measure does not reflect opinions held by his colleagues.

The survey conducted by Godbe Research found 72% of potential Redwood City voters in the coming election would support a $149 parcel tax benefiting the local school district. Comparatively, 70% said they would vote in favor of a similar tax in the March 2020 election, and 71% said they would support an $85 tax in either the November or March election.

Given the tax testing above the supermajority required to pass, McBride said he felt it would be wise for district officials to pursue the tax as quickly as possible.

“The results say November is a good time. So to me — the sooner, the better,” he said, noting the threat of voters’ opinion changing due to shifts in the economy or other unforeseen factors if officials wait to put the measure on the ballot.

Should officials ultimately seek to float the initiative in the fall election, a decision would need to be made later this summer. The district last passed a parcel tax in 2016.

The discussion around the parcel tax comes months after officials decided to close campuses to reconfigure the district’s foundation from one built around neighborhood schools to a system offering magnet programs and larger campuses.

Following years of cuts forced by a limited budget, officials ultimately agreed transformative change is needed to overhaul the district’s finances. Many of the funding issues are associated with a dwindling enrollment, due to the popularity of local charter schools as well as the cost of living forcing families to relocate. The variety of initiatives were designed to fill a $10 million deficit over two years.

The district is financed according to average daily attendance allocations from the state, so the loss of students limits the amount of money the district receives. Increased retirement and pension payments have been identified as a source of the financial strife as well.

While some school community members who opposed the school closures threatened to no longer support the district if their favorite campus was shuttered, McBride said he believes the prevailing sentiment favors the hard choices made.

“After making the cuts, the community is much more aware of the issues in the Redwood City School District and is concerned,” he said.

Poll results suggest otherwise though, as feedback from voters indicated a majority of potential voters either have a negative or uninformed opinion on the district’s performance and its financial management.

To that end, about 32% of those surveyed maintained very or somewhat favorable opinion on whether the district is providing a quality education, while about 37% had a somewhat or very unfavorable opinion while the rest were not sure. Similarly, about 27% had a somewhat or very favorable opinion on whether the district effectively managed its funds, while about 33% had somewhat or very unfavorable opinions on the matter and the rest were uninformed.

McBride though said his position on whether to pursue the measure would not waver in the face of the feedback, suggesting more work should be done reaching out to the community to improve opinions on the district.

“You just have to be communicative and transparent,” he said. “Because the reality is, you are never going to have 100% support.”

Should the district improve its connection with voters during the potential tax campaign, McBride expressed confidence the community would get a better understanding of the quality education offered to local students.

“There’s a lot of really amazing things going on with dedicated teachers and staff,” he said. “And it is on us to make sure we are getting that out and people know the good things going on.”

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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