Prop. 55: Extend temporary taxes to fund school programs

CHRONICLE’S VIEW

“We agree with the Prop. 55 proponents that California schools need much greater state investment to return to the era when they were the nation’s envy — and that commitment needs to endure through good times and bad. Our issue is not with the goal of Prop. 55, it is with the dubious means of achieving it. California needs a significant overhaul of its antiquated tax structure to reflect a modern economy . ... The state cannot continue to just keep putting patches on a tax structure destined to periods of undue destitution. Our legislators and governor need to do the hard but essential work of reforming the tax structure with measures such as extending the sales tax to certain services and addressing some of the inequities in property tax, especially its treatment of commercial property. Vote ‘no’ on Prop. 55.”

California public schools and community colleges are still recovering from years of devastating cuts during the recession. Take a look back: 30,000 teachers were laid off. Class sizes increased. Music and art programs were decimated.

Our public schools are slowly recovering — hiring more teachers to reduce class sizes, and support staff such as librarians. We’re beginning to get new books and supplies and technology. We’re starting to restore the arts and music and sports.

We’ve made some progress. But we’re still healing. To protect the gains we’ve made, we need to vote “yes” on Proposition 55.

Prop. 55 is not a new tax. It doesn’t increase taxes on anyone. It simply maintains the current income tax rates on the wealthiest Californians. Voters passed these taxes in 2012 to start the recovery of our schools. Funding goes to local school districts to meet their most pressing needs.

In San Francisco, this new funding stopped “furlough” days that literally closed schools to save money — meaning less class time for kids. It stopped the large number of demoralizing annual layoff notices to hundreds of teachers. It expanded training for staff to improve instruction. It now supports programs to help low-income students, foster youth and English learners.

While this is heartening news, it’s not the whole story. Parents still dig deep into their pockets to support their schools. At a recent PTA meeting, for example, we talked about the many schools where parents still fund critical services and staff to make up for the school budgets that are short of funds.

San Francisco is not alone. California public schools rank among the lowest in the nation in per-student funding. We’re experiencing a severe teacher shortage — we need to hire an additional 22,000 teachers this year — and we have the largest class sizes in the nation. We are short of critical support staff, including school security, reading aides, bus drivers, counselors and custodians.

Prop. 55 will preserve and continue our recent progress. Without it, PTAs from San Francisco to Eureka, to Placerville to Palm Springs will face wrenching discussions. Bake sales won’t cover the annual $4 billion loss in funding that schools will suffer if the current taxes are allowed to expire.

Prop. 55 poses a very simple policy choice: Do we continue this investment in the education and support for our communities or do we cut taxes for the wealthy?

Now it’s time to strengthen our schools and help our children thrive.

Please join parents, teachers, and so many others in voting Yes on Prop. 55.

Carol Kocivar is an executive board member of the San Francisco Second District PTA and past president of the California State PTA.