It is a shared interest of the District and the community to attract and retain excellent employees. The Board of Education directed staff to review budget priorities in light of the fact that, despite recent raises, AUSD employees are still among the lowest paid public school district employees in Alameda County.
During the Spring 2018 budget realignment process, the Board of Education made the difficult decision to reduce certain services related to Innovative Programs, Literacy and Mathematics Coaches, Full Day Kindergarten, Middle and High School staffing, and District Office Services. Funds saved were re-purposed to increase employee salaries up to 5%.
Fiscal year 2018-19 was the last year that the District received additional funds as the State of California moved to the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Starting 2019-20, State funding will only increase by the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA). In order to hire and retain employees in a highly competitive Bay Area labor market, the District needs to create additional local funding streams to create more attractive job opportunities.
On June 25, 2019, the staff recommend the Board approved the hiring of consultants to assess the viability of another parcel tax to increase the local funding needed to meet Board of Education and community goals.
The District hired the firm of TBWB to conduct and analyze an opinion survey of voters in the District to assess the feasibility of a parcel tax measure. That firm, EMC Research, conducted voter opinion research to gauge attitudes towards the district, test knowledge of employee compensation challenges, and determine the viability of a parcel tax dedicated to staff. Results indicate that a dedicated parcel tax is feasible and that residents generally approve of AUSD and recognize the need for additional funding.
On October 7, AUSD and AEA signed a Tentative Agreement for a 13% raise over two years. Funding sources for the raise include both budget adjustments/reductions and a potential parcel tax.
Tonight, staff will present information on the proposed parcel tax, including a resolution to put it on the March 2020 ballot, the summary ballot language, the amount that will be raised, and how the parcel tax will enable the development and implementation of a robust Strategic Plan.