Claremont : New School Tax on Agenda

Property owners will get a chance Monday to question school board members about their plans to assess a tax on local property to maintain school grounds and buildings used by the public.

At the public meeting, school officials will explain their plan for a “recreation assessment district” that would collect taxes throughout the school district.

The board voted last month to collect a tax from property owners in the Claremont Unified School District, which includes Claremont, parts of Pomona and county unincorporated areas.

Supt. Douglas Keeler said that, unless those owning more than 50% of the property within Claremont Unified’s boundaries file objections to the tax at district headquarters by June 28, it will go into effect July 1.

The board will conduct a public hearing June 28 on the tax, which would raise $1.2 million, he said.

“The use of these funds for areas like the athletic fields will free up school funds spent there for educational purposes, such as books,” Keeler said.

District officials say the tax will average about $97 per parcel of property owned.

The district, forced to slash $3 million from its budget in the past three years, has been discussing ways to raise money at community meetings since Claremont voters rejected a similar tax in November, 1991.

The meeting Monday begins at 7:30 p.m. at 2080 N. Mountain Ave.