The Facts

This initiative offers California's public school immediate, direct help as they cope with a state education budget under stress. It strengthens local control of schools and supports quality education by giving communities a way to commit stable, reliable local funds to their classrooms and students, funds which cannot be taken or disrupted by the State.

By allowing communities to directly support their schools with local resources, this proposal will improve public education by allowing districts to raise local funds:

• To make it easier for schools to attract and retain qualified teachers
• To keep class sizes small
• To support strong core academics like math and science
• To maintaining art, music, physical education, athletics and student support programs
• Requires districts to lay before voters a specific list of ways funds will be spent;
• Requires districts to audit, every year, all funds raised under the Act;
• Gives voters more local control over their schools.

This amendment would not eliminate existing law allowing for parcel tax approvals with a 2/3 hypermajority, just as Proposition 39 did not eliminate the opportunity for districts to place 2/3 hypermajority bonds on the ballot. It offers an alternative route to approval for those districts willing to conform to its disclosure and accountability requirements.