BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
The Palo Alto Unified School District is getting ready to ask voters to renew its parcel tax, starting with a survey this summer that will help determine the tax rate.
The district’s existing parcel tax expires in 2027 at $941 per parcel, consultant Charles Heath told the board on May 13.
Heath is eying renewal at a special mail-in election on May 5, 2026.
“That gives us the advantage of not having competing issues on the same ballot,” Heath said. “We get the attention of the voters on our issue, and what we’ve found is Palo Alto voters tend to be strong supporters of education, particularly when they have that singular focus.”
Voters replaced existing parcel taxes with higher ones tax in 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020.
The district went for an eight-year tax in November 2004 that didn’t pass, so the district has gone for six-year parcel taxes ever since.
Heath said he will return to the board with survey results and recommendations when the school year starts in the fall.
Now is a good time to just say no until we get a new board.
Agreed, not another penny until Austin, Segal, Shounak and Danae Reynolds are gone!