Enterprise staff writer

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A public discussion of a proposed renewal of the Davis school district\’s local parcel tax is scheduled for Thursday night. The Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. in the Community Chambers at City Hall, 23 Russell Blvd.

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When trustees last met, on Dec. 16, they instructed staff to prepare a rough draft, or framework, of a resolution authorizing a ballot measure for renewal of the tax, with the following parameters in mind:

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* A special vote-by-mail election is planned sometime before June 30, probably in May.

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* The tax would have a six-year time span, up from the four-year period that has been the pattern in the past.

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* The proposed amount that was discussed, but not finalized, was $495 per single-family home per year. That\’s an increase from the existing tax of $320, authorized under Measures Q and W, which expire in 2012.

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The additional $175 would only partially compensate for the multiple reductions in funding that the district receives from the state, trustees acknowledge. The increase is intended to fund “core programs” by generating enough revenue to equal the funds raised last spring by the nonprofit Davis Schools Foundation, plus the amount of budget savings realized by reductions agreed to by district employees.

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Members of the Davis Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association both approved a five-day reduction in their contracts for this school year. Administrators accepted a pay cut on an ongoing basis.

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* Still to be determined is the amount to be levied on apartments and duplexes. One trustee spoke in favor of freezing the tax at the current $150 per unit per year, noting that UC Davis students face steep increases in tuition. Other trustees seemed to be inclined toward other amounts.

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A few days after the board gave these instructions to staff, several objections were raised by John Munn, president of the Yolo County Taxpayers Association and a former Board of Education member.

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In an op-ed article in The Enterprise, Munn said the taxpayers group had decided it would not oppose a “reasonable increase in the parcel tax to preserve core educational programs,” under the following conditions:

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“* Use of parcel tax funds is clearly defined;

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“* New parcel tax revenue is used to restore services that have been reduced or eliminated since the 2009-10 district budget;

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“* Funds collected from the new parcel tax are reduced by an amount equal to funds received from the state to cover the accumulated state revenue limit deficit factor; and

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“* The new parcel tax expires after no more than four years unless extended by voters.

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“Unfortunately, the school board\’s framework ignores nearly all of the Taxpayer Association\’s concerns,” Munn wrote, and he urged the school board to reconsider.

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District staff and legal counsel worked on drafting the language for a proposed resolution over the past two weeks, but it wasn\’t finished as of Tuesday afternoon.

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Other items on Thursday night\’s agenda include:

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* The annual report from the district\’s Parcel Tax Oversight Committee regarding revenues and expenditures under the Measures Q and W.

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* Several proposed secondary course program changes, including the addition of several English language development courses, as well as a new human geography class at Da Vinci High School.

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* The first reading of several revised school board policies and administrative regulations, part of the board\’s ongoing review of existing policies and regulations, some of which are old and out of date.

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* An update on activities at the district\’s Da Vinci Charter Academy.

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* Recognition of school board trustee Tim Taylor, who served last year as board president.

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Thursday\’s meeting will be carried live on Davis cable Channel 17 and as streaming video at http://www.djusd.tv.

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— Reach Jeff Hudson at [email protected] or (530) 747-8055. Comment on this story at www.davisenterprise.com

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