Council to Consider School Funding Parcel Tax for November Ballot

The Santa Monica City Council will officially decide Tuesday (Agenda, Item 11a) whether to place a proposed school funding parcel tax before voters this November. The citizen-sponsored initiative would levy a $495 annual parcel tax on property owners, with all proceeds dedicated to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Supporters say the measure would replace discretionary General Fund support currently provided by the City, creating a stable funding source for local schools while freeing up city revenues for other municipal priorities.

Backers argue the measure is necessary to maintain existing educational programs as current city funding is set to expire in 2027. If approved by voters, the tax would provide a dedicated local revenue stream to help sustain district operations. Former Mayor Ted Winterer, a Board Member with Citizens for Excellent Public Schools, wrote an op/ed supporting the measure in May for the Daily Press. While there is no formal organized opposition, the measure is expected to have more of an uphill climb than recent measures as the district finds itself embroiled in a debate over its use of artificial turn instead of natural grass on sports fields (more on that coming next week.)

The Council’s action this week is limited to determining whether the measure will appear on the November ballot, where it would ultimately be decided by Santa Monica voters. The measure already has enough signatures accepted by the county registrar to qualify for the ballot, the City Council’s role is ministerial in this process.

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Damien Newton

Damien is the executive director of the Southern California Streets Initiative which publishes Santa Monica Next, Streetsblog Los Angeles, Streetsblog San Francisco, Streetsblog California and Longbeachize.

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