About 60% of voters in support of San Jose school district tax parcel in early results

SAN JOSE After the polls closed Tuesday night in a special voting process that will decide whether San Jose Unified School District s tax parcel will be extended for another eight years early results evidenced about of voters casting ballots in aid of the measure according to the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Office The parcel tax which was first passed in as Measure Y and is set to expire in June provided the district with almost million per year to pay staff and assistance academic programs Measure A would renew the tax parcel for another eight years at its current rate In the first count issued after the polls closed at p m which included counts from about of precincts of people voted in favor of the measure and voted against the measure About votes had been counted The measure demands to receive two-thirds endorsement to pass according to the voter guide The San Jose Unified School District did not at once respond to a request for comment Mark Hinkle president of the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association and an opponent of the measure explained that the initial results were kind of disappointing and that he persons of interest the measure will pass if voting trends hold true He pointed out that a civil grand jury description from last year detected that the district was adrift The idea that voters in the district would reward of the students failing English standards and over failing in math that a rational voter would vote to fund that just boggles the mind Hinkle reported The district s request to voters for more funding comes months after voters approved a billion local bond measure to encouragement the school district to provide employee housing and upgrade facilities That measure will cost taxpayers about million annually for years A statewide billion campus improvement bond was also passed by voters in November but the school district previously noted that would not be sufficient to fund renovations The bond measures can only be used for equipment school buildings and instrument whereas the tax parcel has been used to purchase class materials increase pay to help with mentor retention and extend school library hours Related Articles Budget cuts heighten concerns for West Contra Costa English learners Trump won t axe Head Start Bay Area families are still worried Letters Trump s AmeriCorps cuts are not making America great Reckless US stiffs Bay Area schools on million in mental medical grants California lawmakers are trying once more to pass sweeping changes to charter school oversight Here s what they want Supporters of the tax have noted that the parcel tax will allow the district to maintain consistent funding and that losing this funding would lead to educator vacancies cuts to academic programs and staff turnover Critics have called it a money grab that did not sufficiently accomplish its goal of supporting academic programs amid test scores that have not recovered from pandemic learning loss The tax parcel is overseen by an independent citizens oversight committee Specific residents including homeowners over the age of and low-income homeowners with disabilities can apply for an exemption from the parcel tax The poll was conducted by mail Ballots have to be postmarked by Tuesday and arrive by May to be counted according to the Registrar of Voters Office Staff writer Molly Gibbs contributed reporting