San Dieguito OKs Parcel Tax Vote : Education: School district would raise about $2.5 million each year with $50 tax on 53,000 properties.

The San Dieguito Union High school district in Encinitas has become the first school district in the county to propose to raise funds through an election this year, a risky and expensive endeavor, say school funding experts.

The district board voted unanimously Wednesday night to place a parcel tax on a special June 4 ballot. The measure, which requires a two-thirds vote to pass, would raise about $2.5 million a year for the district by levying a $50-a-year tax on each of about 53,000 property parcels in the district. The tax would remain in place for the next five years.

Supt. William Berrier said that, without the funds, the district will have to make about $2 million in cutbacks out of a $30-million operating budget next fiscal year.

In 1988, Carlsbad Unified initiated the only successful parcel tax election ever in San Diego County. Last April, the Encinitas Union Elementary district mounted the only other parcel tax election in the county.

Berrier said that the registrar’s deadline for placing an issue on the June ballot is Feb. 1, and that the district intentionally waited until after Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposed budget was released before making its decision.

“We already knew things were not going to be good, and you never know what the state budget is going to look like,” Berrier said. “But, based on the governor’s (proposed) budget . . . we had to turn to one of two sources of revenue. Either we had to reduce our program or go to other sources.”

“The state’s budget is a disaster, and, as a result of that, all the school districts will face a pinch,” Berrier predicted.

Parcel tax elections have not been a favorite method of raising funds for school districts and for good reason, school-funding experts said.

“They are very expensive, they are very risky and the success rate has been only moderate,” said Paul Goldfinger, vice president of School Services of California, a private consulting firm specializing in school finance.

Goldfinger, who is familiar with San Dieguito’s efforts, said the district has several factors working in its favor.

“Its chances are as good as any district’s,” said Goldfinger, adding that the district’s relatively small size and high income and education are pluses.

Despite the risk, educators on the state level agree that it is likely that more and more school districts will begin turning to parcel tax and general obligation bond elections to make up for cuts in state funding levels.

“Given not only the lack of funds for school construction but the governor’s proposal to suspend Proposition 98 and the relatively bleak outlook at the state level in general, you are going to see more school districts try to generate funds more locally,” said Duwayne Brooks, assistant superintendent for school facilities planning with the state education department.

Brooks said legislative efforts are in the works that would require a simple majority vote on parcel tax and general obligation bond elections by schools instead of the current two-thirds.

Those changes, however, will not be in place until at least June, 1992, Brooks said, and some districts can’t wait that long.

Berrier said he plans to submit a budget to the San Dieguito district board in February for the next fiscal year, based on the assumption that the parcel tax would not be passed and that cuts would have to be made. He would not specify what those cuts might be.

Berrier said a survey conducted by the Redwood City-based Price Co. indicated there was “an excellent chance” of getting the two-thirds vote. The study conducted last September said district voters would support a parcel tax of $44 to $53.

The special election will cost the district $15,000 in fees to the registrar of voters and $30,000 in fees to the Price Co., Berrier said.

Berrier said supporters of the parcel tax will have to raise “$40,000 to $50,000 minimum” on their own if the election is to be successful. To date, however, no fund raising has begun, and no election committee has been formed, Berrier said.

“Our survey indicated that there is strong support among parents and there is a large segment of this community that doesn’t have the information to make a value judgment,” Berrier said.

The money from the tax will primarily support existing school programs and the purchase of computers, Berrier said.

The Encinitas Union school district, one of San Dieguito Union’s five feeder districts, had an unsuccessful parcel tax election last April that garnered 58% of the vote.

“I don’t think of it as having lost, we just didn’t get enough votes,” said Encinitas Supt. Donald Lindstrom, pointing out that there was a clear majority.

“We just didn’t get people out to vote that had kids in the schools, but the retirement centers got people out to vote, and they are good at voting,” Lindstrom said.

Lindstrom blamed his district’s failure on a lack of “sophistication” in campaigning and felt that by seeking professional advice the school district might have fared better.

Lindstrom said supporters of their parcel tax election only raised $5,000, but that San Dieguito has a much larger base from which to draw support.

San Dieguito Union High, with 6,900 students, serves Encinitas, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Cardiff, Del Mar, parts of San Marcos and unincorporated areas.