Understanding the Budget Cuts, Parcel Taxes, and the June 2026 Measure

Budget cuts: losing teachers, larger classrooms

The Redwood City School District (RCSD) is facing significant financial challenges as a result of reduced state/federal level funding, the end of pandemic related funds, and raising costs related to operating in a very high cost of living area.

To be financially responsible and remain fiscally solvent, the district has implemented budget reductions totaling approximately $9.8M over two fiscal years.

2025-2026 School year reductions (effective now)

In 2024, the budget was cut by approximately $3.8M, by significantly reducing staff:

• 8.2 Assistant Principals (APs) Lost: Most schools lost their Assistant Principal. This leaves the Principal as the sole administrator responsible for safety, discipline, and legal compliance.
• 4.25 Mental Health Counselors Lost: Nearly every campus (Adelante Selby, North Star, Orion, Roosevelt, Taft, and others) have reduced student access to emotional support.
• 3.8 Instructional Specialists Lost: Literacy and MTSS Coaches (TOSAs) were reduced, affecting students who are falling behind in reading and math.

Approval of Budget Renewal Initiative, Superintendent Recommendations

2026-2027 Proposed Reductions

This year, it was determined that a projected $6M deficit for the upcoming year necessitates further cuts. The plan has not yet been finalized, but right now the proposal includes:

• Teachers: The reduction of 17 teacher positions. This will bring class sizes to the maximum allowed by state law:
  • 28 students in K-2
  • 32 students in 3-5
  • 35 students in 6-8
• Guest Teacher Coverage: The elimination of guest teachers who cover classrooms for ill teachers or during IEP meetings.
• Administrative Workload: Without Assistant Principals, TK-5 Principals must now manage up to 150 IEP meetings per year alone, while also managing the daily operations of a school with maxed-out class sizes.

Scenario Development: Preliminary Budget Reduction Options Strategic Resource Alignment Board Meeting - Jan 13th

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Understanding parcel taxes

California laws determine how School Districts are funded. Those laws apply to all school districts equally - no matter how high or low the cost of living in the area is.

Following those laws, a large amount of the Redwood City School District funds come from Property Taxes. In California, Proposition 13 caps annual property tax increases to 2%. Since 2021 the cost of living has increased by 20%. For every $100 the district received in 2021, they now receive about $108. However, to buy the exact same goods and services they bought in 2021, they now need $120. And this gap has been increasing since 1978, when Prop 13 was passed.

• Regional Tax Rates: San Mateo County Controller: Property Tax Highlights FY 2023-24
• Inflation Data: CA Dept of Industrial Relations: Historical California CPI Data
• District Funding Analysis: Redwood City School District: Community Funded District Analysis

California laws also provides other mechanisms for School Districts to receive funding: via bonds, and parcel taxes.

Bonds can be used exclusively for “Capital” (facilities) expenditures. They cannot be used to pay teachers or counselors.

So let’s talk about parcel taxes, and how this has been handled in Redwood City over the years.

Historical Funding and Legal Constraints

In recent years, Redwood City School District voters were called to approve different bonds and parcel taxes. The table below summarizes the current state.

(Sources: Ballotpedia; San Mateo County Assessor; RCSD Measure S/T Project Pages)

As you can notice:

• Measure W - has expired 8 years ago.
• Measure T and Measure S - are bonds, constrained by law to only be used for capital expenditures - meaning they can in practice only be used for building renovation and improvements, or things to buy. It is also important to note that while Measures T and S provide about $ 491M of funds for important renovation and modernization work, the 2025 RCSD Facilities Master Plan identifies a total of $780–$820 million in long-term needs. Leaving a $300 million gap in identified facility projects, despite the bonds.

The only active measure that can be used to pay for teachers, teacher aids, or staff in general is Measure U, which only provides $ 1.9 M per year, and is set to expire in 2031.

Comparative Regional Analysis

RCSD currently receives amongst the lowest level of funding from parcel taxes compared to neighboring district. The table below is based on a research of active parcel taxes in nearby districts:

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The new parcel tax

The Redwood City School District is asking the Redwood City voters to approve ** a new education parcel tax measure** on the June 2, 2026 ballot which will bring about $ 12.2M for 8 years beginning July 1, 2026 if approved by a two-thirds (66.7%) majority of voters.

02/26/26 Board Meeting, Resolution #21, attachment Traditionally, parcel taxes require property owners to pay a fixed amount per parcel, no matter how big or small the parcel is. This means that the owner of a tiny apartment ends up paying the same amount as someone owning a large commercial property, raising concerns about fairness and equity.

For the first time in Redwood City, the measure is designed so that contributions scale with the property size: owners of small properties pay a small tax, while owners of large properties pay a larger tax.

To prevent very large property owners - typically businesses in the city - from being excessively penalized, the parcel tax includes a provision so that the maximum owed has a limit, it has a “cap”.

Typically, parcel taxes have a “fixed cap”, an arbitrary dollar amount that does not change over the years.

The cap in the proposed educational parcel tax is instead computed on 80% of the total building square footage in the district, ensuring that over the years no single large property is excessively penalized while the tax structure stays equitable for families, seniors, and local businesses alike.

The language that voters will be asked to approve defines:

• Improved parcels: $0.175 per building square foot, with a cap on the total amount per parcel based on 80$ of the total building square footage.
• Unimproved parcels: $25 per parcel.

Exemptions

Exemptions are granted for primary residences owner-occupied by:

• Seniors (65+)
• People receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for disability
• Low income who meet the measure’s income threshold and requirements

What the parcel tax will fund

The ballot language authorizes funds to support:

• Attracting and retaining qualified teachers, counselors, and school staff
• Reading and writing programs and ongoing literacy support
• Manageable class sizes
• Hands-on science and math/science enrichment
• STEM instruction
• Protecting arts and music so every student has access to a well-rounded education

What the parcel tax will NOT fund

The measure explicitly prohibits spending parcel tax funds on:

• Administrator salaries
• Pensions

More broadly, funds must be used only for the educational purposes listed in the measure, and are subject to independent oversight and audits.

Estimated annual revenue

The measure is estimated to generate $12,200,000 annually, though the exact amount may vary year-to-year based on exemptions, changes in taxable parcels, and changes in assessed building square footage.

How revenue is allocated

The measure includes an allocation structure written into the ballot text:

• 50% of available revenues allocated to District-wide programs and services (District-directed), to support increased educational staff salaries
• 50% allocated to school sites (site-directed “School Funds”)

The School Funds are distributed to each school site (including eligible charter schools) using a transparent formula:

1. $50,000 base allocation per school site
2. Remaining School Funds allocated:
   • 55% by total student enrollment
   • 45% by Unduplicated Pupil enrollment (UPP) (English Learners, Socioeconomically disadvantaged, …)

To ensure flexibility over the years to adapt to changing needs while maintaining strong safeguards, the parcel tax language contains provisions allowing the formula to be changed only by a 4/5 supermajority vote of the Board under specific circumstances.

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Where the money goes: school-by-school allocations

If the measure passes, the tables below show how the expected revenue would be distributed to each school, based on the formula in the ballot language and projected enrollment and revenue.

District-wide programs and services (50%)

• $6,100,000 — District-wide Programs and Services (educational staff salaries, teacher retention, etc)

School sites (50%)

Traditional schools (District sites)

School	Enrollment	UPP %	Base	Enrollment	UPP	Total	Per-pupil
Adelante Selby	630	62.7%	$50,000	$254,392	$224,064	$528,456	$839
Clifford	665	45.6%	$50,000	$268,525	$171,877	$490,402	$737
Cloud	665	16.5%	$50,000	$268,525	$62,398	$380,923	$573
Ford	461	65.5%	$50,000	$186,150	$171,310	$407,460	$884
Garfield	261	96.6%	$50,000	$105,391	$142,947	$298,338	$1,143
Kennedy	790	70.6%	$50,000	$318,999	$316,526	$685,525	$868
MIT	401	95.0%	$50,000	$161,922	$216,122	$428,044	$1,067
NSA (North Star)	552	8.5%	$50,000	$222,896	$26,661	$299,557	$543
Roosevelt	346	71.1%	$50,000	$139,714	$139,544	$329,258	$952
Taft	325	94.2%	$50,000	$131,234	$173,579	$354,813	$1,092
Orion	549	24.6%	$50,000	$221,684	$76,579	$348,263	$634
Hoover	658	96.7%	$50,000	$265,698	$360,771	$676,469	$1,028
District total	6,303		$600,000	$2,545,130	$2,082,378	$5,227,508

Charter schools

Charter	Enrollment	UPP %	Base	Enrollment	UPP	Total	Per-pupil
Connect	135	69.2%	$50,000	$50,994	$33,337	$134,331	$995
KIPP	662	91.0%	$50,000	$250,057	$215,793	$515,850	$779
Rocketship	255	83.3%	$50,000	$96,321	$75,993	$222,314	$872
Charter total	1,052		$150,000	$397,372	$325,123	$872,495

02/11/26 Board Meeting, Review of Draft Resolution: Calling An Election…, DRAFT Preliminary Parcel Tax Distribution Attachment 02/26/26 DRAFT Preliminary Parcel Tax Distribution

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Conclusion

The proposed parcel tax is intended to mitigate staff reductions and maintain current class size standards. Revenues are locally controlled, stay entirely within RCSD, and are subject to mandatory citizen oversight and annual independent audits.

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Our Campaign Budget

For this parcel tax to pass, we need two-thirds (66.7%) of voters to say YES. That is a high threshold. The last parcel tax attempt failed by just 72 votes.

Every vote matters.

It is critical that voters:

• Understand what the measure does
• Know how it impacts their neighborhood
• Return their ballot

What We’ve Learned

We have spoken with community members who worked on prior parcel tax campaigns, as well as professionals who have supported similar measures across San Mateo County. The consistent takeaway is clear:

Outreach makes the difference.

If a few $$ more could have turned a few more voters in support of the measure, the district’s financial position today would look very different.

Before discussing the campaign budget, consider a few key facts:

1. RCSD serves a broader area than the City of Redwood City. The district includes Emerald Hills, parts of Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and unincorporated areas. Many residents do not immediately realize they are part of RCSD (see our map for details).
2. Awareness is uneven. In past campaigns, some residents questioned why they were being asked to support “Redwood City” schools when they do not identify as living in Redwood City. Clear communication and outreach are essential, more so than in other jurisdictions.
3. Turnout is key. Registered voters in the district: ~44,000–46,000. Eligible voters: ~55,000. Typical turnout in recent comparable elections: ~18,300 voters. If turnout mirrors prior elections, we would need approximately 13,000 YES votes. If turnout is significantly higher, that number increases.
4. Repetition matters. Research consistently shows that voters need to encounter a message multiple times — across different formats — before it resonates. This is often referred to as the “rule of seven.”
5. This effort is volunteer-led — but professional execution matters. Many members of our community are contributing professional skills. However, certain components — legal compliance, voter targeting, mail strategy, graphic design, data analysis, etc — require experienced professionals to ensure resources are used effectively and responsibly.

Reaching tens of thousands of voters in multiple neighborhoods requires:

• Targeted mailers (voter database, customized printed materials, …)
• Digital outreach (facebook, instagram, google, …)
• Lawn signs and field materials
• Voter data analysis
• Compliance and reporting

Proposed Campaign Tiers

The table below details the expected spending per area, depending on how much we raise. For example: if we manage to raise only $ 100,000, we will only be able to run a minimal campaign, and we will need to cut down on digital advertisements, flyers and so on.

While some numbers may seem high, consider a simple example: using one of the cheapest USPS bulk delivery options (EDDM) a single 20,000 flyers distribution targeted to some zip codes will cost between $ 7,000 and $ 11,000 (including print costs - but paper quality, design, delivery options can greatly affect the final number). A single delivery of 20,000 flyers via addressed letters to target registered voters only would cost more: between $ 10,000 and $ 16,000. But those costs don’t take into account the need to have a voter database, having an expert do research around which demographics and zip codes to prioritize, and the costs of actually designing the flyer, making sure the printed material makes it to USPS, providing the addresses to target. In practice, we would most likely use a 3rd party to set up the delivery for us, with higher costs.

Google, Facebook, Instagram, … ads also have a preparation cost, as well as a cost per display or per click that can add up very quickly to thousands of dollars.

Area	Minimal Campaign	Effective Campaign	Strong Campaign
Voter Information Mailers	$54,650	$81,050	$107,450
Educational brochures and postcards sent to households. This is the core of the campaign, ensuring our message reaches people's physical mailboxes.
Digital & Social Media Ads	$10,000	$27,500	$52,500
Informational ads on platforms like Facebook and local news sites to reach residents where they spend time online.
Neighborhood & Field Supplies	$10,550	$19,300	$26,575
Lawn signs, door hangers, pins, walk-lists for our volunteers to engage with neighbors directly.
Professional Design & Strategy	$30,500	$30,500	$30,500
Includes graphic design, voter data polling, and professional coordination of campaign logistics.
Operations & Compliance	$1,000	$1,000	$1,000
Very conservative estimate, ensures the campaign remains fully transparent and legally compliant with all state financial reporting.
TOTAL CAMPAIGN GOAL	$106,700	$159,350	$218,025

Your time is valuable

Not all contributions to this campaign need to be financial. We are able to save significant costs—allowing us to reach more voters—through the dedicated help of community volunteers. If you have professional skills or are simply willing to roll up your sleeves, you can help us close the budget gap.

Can you lend us your skills? We are looking, or will be looking, for volunteers to help with:

• Creative & Tech: Website design, digital marketing, or graphic design.
• Materials: Helping distribute yard signs, stickers, or flyers.
• Direct Outreach: Going door-to-door or making phone calls to your neighbors.

By volunteering your time, you help us reduce our overhead and put every available dollar directly into voter education.

Sign up to Volunteer Here

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Data Sources:

• Voter Statistics: District-wide registration (~45,000) is based on the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division (reflecting the full RCSD boundary, including unincorporated areas).
• Likely Voter Universe: Based on historical turnout models for Redwood City K-8 district elections.