How are the schools in the Ross Valley School District doing?
Ross Valley School District prides itself on providing an excellent, well-rounded education to students in San Anselmo and Fairfax. The District is one of the only districts in Southern Marin that offers a Transitional Kindergarten program for its community, and its test scores are at or above pre-pandemic levels.
The District works in partnership with families to provide innovative, hands-on learning experiences that foster the social, emotional, and academic development of District students. The District’s recent achievements include receiving the Schools to Watch Award for White Hill Middle School.
Are Ross Valley schools well-funded?
The District’s local per-pupil funding ranks among the lowest in Marin County. This lack of funding impacts the District’s ability to retain quality teachers and fund core academic programs.
Teachers at Ross Valley School District are among the lowest paid in Marin County, one of the most expensive counties in the State. Lower salaries may result in a loss of high-quality local teaching staff to neighboring districts that offer more competitive pay.
What are Ross Valley’s plans to help ensure a stable funding source for quality schools?
In order to help maintain core education programs and retain quality local teachers, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to place a 52 cent per building square foot parcel tax measure on the May 6 special election mailed ballot to renew RVSD’s existing parcel tax.
How would a renewal measure fund the District’s teachers and academic programs?
If approved, funding from this measure could be used to:
- Attract and retain highly qualified teachers
- Maintain small classroom sizes for all grade levels
- Protect core academic programs in science, technology, engineering, and math; and reading and writing
- Preserve school libraries and library services
What type of accountability and local control requirements are included in the proposed parcel tax measure?
The measure under consideration would be subject to oversight and fiscal accountability provisions, including:
- All money would be controlled locally and could not be taken away by the State
- Independent citizens’ oversight and mandatory annual audits would help ensure funds are spent as intended by voters
- Senior citizen and certain disabled homeowners would be exempt
- No money raised could be used for administrators’ salaries or pensions
- Distribution of tax burden across the entire community, with large building owners paying more
How much will this parcel tax measure cost me?
This parcel tax measure is based on the square footage of the buildings on your property, meaning smaller single-family homeowners may pay significantly less than larger building owners. The measure would cost 52 cents per building square foot and unimproved parcels without any buildings on them would pay a flat $95 annual rate.
Will the cost of the measure be distributed across the community?
Yes. The measure is based on building square footage, meaning that single-family homeowners may pay significantly lower rates than large building owners. The cost of the parcel tax is based on the square footage of the building meaning the cost of the tax will be distributed across the community based on building size.
Would senior citizen and certain disabled homeowners be exempt from the cost?
Yes. Senior citizen homeowners and certain disabled homeowners would be eligible for an exemption from the cost of the measure.
Will renters be subject to the parcel tax?
No. This measure is a square footage parcel tax for property owners.
Would funds benefit neighborhood schools only?
Funds from the measure would benefit the five schools in the Ross Valley School District (Brookside, Hidden Valley, Manor, Wade Thomas, and White Hill Middle School) only. No funds could be taken by the State or used for other purposes.
How can I learn more about the measure or share my feedback?
As the District plans for the future, feedback from families and community members alike is welcome. If you have any questions about the measure, please contact tgraff@rossvalleyschools.org.
