By Eliza Ridgeway

With 20 percent of Los Altos School District’s funding coming from parcel tax dollars, the district plans to seek a renewal of its $597 annual parcel tax in the November election.

The district receives most of its funding from the state. But as statewide budget cuts have multiplied, the district has turned to bond measures, a parcel tax and fund raising to fill in funding gaps.

Formation of a parcel tax measure is on the agenda for the May 15 school-board meeting. Passage of a renewal tax requires only a majority vote, rather than the two-thirds approval needed to increase parcel tax amounts. The tax was raised from $264 to $597 in 2002.

The volunteer organization, Keep Los Altos Schools Strong (KLASS), has formed an executive committee to launch a campaign for a parcel tax renewal. The committee consists of parents and community members, including Lou Becker, Bob Grimm, Amy Gaffney, Debbie Torok, Los Altos Mayor Ron Packard and Duane Roberts.

Chairwoman Katie Matice said that KLASS has historically led voter education efforts to pass parcel taxes using direct mailings, campaign kickoffs, precinct walks and door-to-door visits.

The committee has commissioned a poll of local residents from the Center for Community Opinion, based in San Ramon.

“We’d like to tune in to the community and see how it is feeling about schools and the school district and see if there are any issues that arise,” Matice said. “The parcel tax, I know, is not the number one thing on people’s minds, but it should be. It is the number one issue facing our community.”

The district intends to refinance the $94.7 million bond approved by voters in 1998 to realize an additional $8 to $12 million. With interest rates lower and property values higher, the district hopes to net more funding than initially projected.

Voters in 1998 agreed to pay up to an average of $55 per $100,000 of assessed property value, but the district has been collecting less than that - approximately $47 this year. After the bond is refinanced, the average Los Altos resident could expect to pay an extra $7 a year per $100,000 in assessed property value.

The district will prioritize upgrading and modernizing the Bullis-Purissima campus with the refinancing funds, according to LASD Business Manager Randy Kenyon.