Enrollment decline not always terrible

In San Mateo County, the confusion gets even more complex. That’s because of what are dubbed “basic aid” or “community funded” school districts. More than half of our districts fall into this bracket.

In a nutshell, these districts are essentially funded via local property taxes. Most districts in the state are not. They get their revenue based on enrollment. There’s an ironic twist to basic aid status.

For the most part (but not always), if a basic aid outfit loses students, it can be a benefit. Since these districts receive a flat amount of cash based on their land values (which have been booming on the Peninsula for years), they have more money available on a per-student basis if enrollment drops.

The caveat, however, is that districts can’t always adjust and trim their total expenses (fixed costs in particular) significantly when student numbers fall.

But when they can, the pluses are obvious. So worries about enrollment losses aren’t always justified. It’s counterintuitive but consider the math.

A CHEAP LOCAL TAXI OPTION: Residents at least 70 years old and living in the northern portion of San Mateo County and along a strip of the coastside are eligible for a surprisingly inexpensive transportation option, Got Wheels, at a time when gas prices are hammering pocketbooks.

Peninsula Family Service offers cheap taxi rides 24/7 within a designated travel zone: Half Moon Bay north to Moss Beach and the area from Daly City/Brisbane south to Burlingame/Hillsborough. San Francisco International Airport is included in the program’s boundaries. Pacifica is not.

Eligible senior citizens can request a free monthly travel card from Peninsula Family Service which provides six one-way taxi rides or three round trips (via Serra Yellow Cab) for the grand total of just $5 per journey. All treks must begin and end within the stated service area which has been expanded since its 2019 inception.

For more information about the program, which is subsidized by Caltrans and San Mateo County taxpayers, interested individuals can call Peninsula Family Service at (650) 403-4300, extension 4329.

JUST DON’T LOOK UP, FOLKS: It continues to be a local head-scratcher. Does it make sense to allow 90-foot-tall buildings to be erected directly below the glide path of SFO jetliners? You may have observed the collection of new residential towers on Millbrae Avenue on BART property. They are impressive.

But, when strong winds force planes to bank and land from the southwest over Millbrae, those buildings seem worryingly close.

Apparently not. Federal aviation authorities gave the construction the OK. No need to fret. One hopes.

ANY METAL IN YOUR BODY?: Speaking of SFO, preboarding security check-in lines there (or any other airport for that matter) can be long, time-consuming and a real drag for travelers. But they’re necessary. You can’t be too careful. A favorite question posed by the helpful officials as you approach a body scan device: “Do you have any metal in your body?” My usual answer: “Not yet.” But that day is probably coming.

ALL HAIL THE STINKING ROSE: Give us garlic. Lots of it. As often as polite society allows. The recent announcement describing the end of the popular Gilroy Garlic Festival brought sighs of unhappiness to all devotees of the stinking rose. So maybe some creative local town or enterprise could take up the garlic mantle later this summer, perhaps on the Labor Day weekend. Just a thought.

ARMORED VEHICLES ON DISPLAY: Perhaps you’ve noticed. Law enforcement agencies here have been revealing the kinds of military-style equipment they possess, if any at all. What’s telling about some of this brawny gear is the mere fact that the cops have a need for this stuff in the first place. Says something about the once-tranquil state of suburbia in the 21st century.

You can get in touch with John Horgan by email at johnhorganmedia@gmail.com.