Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Local Control of Local Classrooms Funding Act?
What disclosure and accountability requirements does the Act impose on districts seeking to use it?
What other special requirements does the Act impose?
Are funds raised under the Act safe from seizure by the State?
Are senior citizens protected under the Act?
Will the Act help solve the funding crisis facing California’s public schools?
Does the Act cap how big a parcel tax can be put before voters?
Will the Act decrease the disparity of funding between wealthy and less well-off districts?
How does the Act relate to Proposition 13?
How does the Act relate to Proposition 39?
Can a district place unrestricted education parcel taxes before voters if the Act is approved?
Does the Act treat traditional and charter schools equally?
What is the Local Control of Local Classrooms Funding Act?
The Act is a proposal to amend California's Constitution so that special taxes for school districts, commonly known as education parcel taxes, can be approved by a 55-percent vote, provided certain sensible disclosure and accountability requirements are met.
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What is a parcel tax?
A parcel tax is a supplementary assessment on parcels of property within a jurisdiction. It shows up as a separate line item on a property owner's tax bill. It is not subject to the percentage rate cap set by Proposition 13.
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What disclosure and accountability requirements does the Act impose on districts seeking to use it?
The Act requires that districts seeking approval of a parcel tax under it:
- Specify the specific purposes and programs to be funded in the tax proposal put before voters;
- Perform annual independent audits to prove that money was spent in accordance with the original proposal put before voters; and,
- Create an independent citizens' oversight committee to report publicly on how parcel tax funds are being utilized.
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What other special requirements does the Act impose?
The Act requires that districts utilizing it:
- Offer property owners the option of opting out of the tax after they reach age 65;
- Treat traditional and charter schools even-handedly in allocating funds; and,
- Not spend monies on administrator salaries.
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Are funds raised under the Act safe from seizure by the State?
Yes. There are specific prohibitions against the State taking funds raised under the Act. In addition, the Act prohibits the State from reducing its funding of districts based on their having raised local funding under the Act.
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Are senior citizens protected under the Act?
The Act protects seniors, who often have fixed and modest incomes, by requiring districts to offer seniors an "opt out" from paying any tax approved under the terms of the Act.
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Will the Act help solve the funding crisis facing California’s public schools?
The Act gives communities a way to protect their local schools from California's ongoing financial crisis. The decision to do so, however, will still be up to each community.
Because local funding is more stable and secure than State funding, the Act also gives communities a way to reduce the volatility of education funding, letting critical programs be more easily preserved.
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Does the Act cap how big a parcel tax can be put before voters?
Yes, the Act limits the total dollar value of tax proposals put before voters in any given election, utilizing its provisions, to $250 per parcel, adjusted over time for inflation. This limits how fast parcel taxes can be increased. That's an important consideration for voters who want to control, carefully, how and where their money is spent.
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Will the Act decrease the disparity of funding between wealthy and less well-off districts?
The Act will make it easier for communities to support their local schools financially by lowering the approval threshold in exchange for meeting sensible disclosure and accountability standards. That way, critical educational programs are more likely to be preserved in all kinds of districts, reducing the disparity between wealthy and less well-off districts.
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How does the Act relate to Proposition 13?
The Act is based on the principle that local communities know their own situation best. The Act preserves the concept, defined within Proposition 13, that communities should be able to assess themselves for additional taxes in order to meet local needs.
The Act goes beyond Proposition 13 by requiring districts to meet sensible disclosure and accountability standards when placing tax initiatives before voters. It also adds additional taxpayer protection by requiring oversight by an independent committee of citizens.
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How does the Act relate to Proposition 39?
California voters approved Proposition 39 to let communities more easily support school construction and renovation bonds. It lowers the approval threshold for those bonds, provided certain requirements are met. The Act builds on the groundwork laid by Proposition 39 to let communities more easily support the programs offered within those buildings.
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Can a district place unrestricted education parcel taxes before voters if the Act is approved?
Yes. The Act does not modify existing law regarding education parcel taxes in any way. Districts are free to seek 2/3 approval of education parcel taxes just like they are today. They would only need to obey the restrictions and requirements in the Act if they wish to get approval with 55% of votes cast.
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How will districts that already have parcel taxes exceeding the Act’s cap benefit from passage of the Act?
The Act makes it easier for all communities to save critical educational programs. In addition, the Act serves as a safety net for highly supportive communities, which may find at some point in the future that their support base isn't quite up to meeting a 2/3 approval threshold.
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Does the Act treat traditional and charter schools equally?
Yes. The Act's expressed intent is for all schools within a district, whether charter or traditional, to be treated even-handedly. Consistent with the Act's focus on local control, each community is allowed to determine, through its governing board, how to implement that intent.