Debate Highlights 'Yes' and 'No' Sides on Measure A
May 18, 2022 10:43AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
A lively debate at Shade Hotel on Monday night brought out supporters and detractors of Measure A, the school parcel tax that will appear on the June 7 ballot.
The debate, sponsored by the Easy Reader, drew approximately 150 people.
Speaking for the "Yes" side was MB Citizens for Schools co-chair Wysh Weinstein, MBEF Executive Director Hilary Mahan, and Measure A proponent Michael Sinclair. Speaking for the "No" side was City Councilmember Joe Franklin, and MBUSD parents Greg Dickinson and Tiffany Wright. Former Hermosa Beach planning commissioner Stephen Izant acted as moderator.
Measure A is a citizen-led initiative to create a parcel tax with revenue
dedicated to school funding. The measure is an outgrowth of decades of
efforts by Manhattan Beach parents, educators, business, and
community leaders attempting to address inadequacies in state K-12
funding through fundraising and working with legislators in Sacramento.
If
approved, Measure A would authorize a $1,095 annual parcel tax for a
term of 12
years. Proponents say that $1,095 would be the amount required – as defined by the state –
to bring MBUSD per-student funding up to the state average.
Many
of those who have worked most intimately on school funding in Manhattan
Beach have concluded that a parcel tax measure that keeps funding
within Manhattan Beach will be the only way to protect and maintain
high-quality education in the local public schools. And in fact, at Monday's debate, both sides agreed on the need for a parcel tax to follow the soon-to-expire existing parcel tax, Measure MB. The question remains: When, for how much, and for how long?
How Much Do Manhattan Beach Schools Need?
While the debate touched on issues of enrollment, timing of the election, and questions of equity around the parcel tax; the main difference between the sides appeared to center on one question: How much do Manhattan Beach schools need?
Measure A proponents said that Manhattan Beach is one of the lowest-funded school districts in California, receiving $2,000 less than per student than the state average ($11,070 for Manhattan Beach vs. $13,153 for the average), and that state funding is unreliable. The $1,095 per parcel that Measure A calls for is expected to bring that number up to the state average - and when collected as a parcel tax, would guarantee that the money would stay in Manhattan Beach. With the 12-year time frame, the argument goes, Manhattan Beach could maintain consistent funding until Manhattan Beach is expected to reach classification as a "basic aid" district where it is able to keep its own tax revenues and not rely on state aid.
"When we talk about a funding problem we talk about a structural deficit that started way back when Prop 13 passed. We have been climbing uphill trying to overcome that financial cliff for decades," said Mahan.
Mahan noted that the voluntary local funding, such as what comes from MBEF, supplements the MBUSD budget, but MBEF is meant to be a source of enrichment funding, not funding for maintaining basic operational needs. Despite MBEF's contributions, "The need is there, the need is real," she said.
But the "No" side argued that Manhattan Beach is not in as dire a state as the "Yes" side would portray, with all sources of funding being up 25% overall since 2018 on a per-student basis. (That 25% includes the current parcel tax for education, Measure MB, that was approved in June 2018.)
"I'm not sure how much of a rebuttal there is on the idea that we need adequate school funding; I think the disagreement is really what adequate looks like," said Dickinson. "How do you know when enough's enough?"
Dickinson noted that school deficits have been running at $2 to $3 million per year. "Part of the question, then, is if you're $2 to $3 million dollars short, why do we need $12 million dollars a year? That's, I think, a fair question. The answer has been kind of fuzzy because they have categories of spending but not prioritization of them, not what percent's going to go to what, so it makes it hard to audit."
A Bridge to Basic Aid - Or Too Long and Too Much Money?
A related point of contention has been the 12-year time frame of the proposed parcel tax.
Twelve years is the amount of time that it is estimated to take for Manhattan Beach to get to a level of "basic aid" funding - which is when the city reaches the threshold where it can be self-sustaining with property taxes for education and not have to rely on Sacramento for state funding. The 12-year time frame would guarantee stable funding for an entire generation of students until that happens, say proponents.
"Measure A is the bridge to basic aid," said Sinclair. He noted that Laguna Beach, a basic aid district, gets $23,000 in per pupil, compared with the $11,070 in state funding Manhattan Beach currently receives as a revenue-limit district.
Mahan added that going through a parcel tax is a route taken by many other districts to address the same issues, and without one, the district will be left vulnerable. "The more and more we kick this can down the road, the more cracks will prevail," she said.
Sinclair also answered the moderator's question: - "Can you confirm that the state will not withhold any funding if this measure passes?" - with a single word: "Yes." (Parcel tax revenue does not count as local revenue in calculating state aid.)
But opponents argued that it is too long of a commitment to make for such a relatively large amount of money.
"Twelve years is a long time by property tax standards," said Dickinson. "Future city councils, future school boards will all be saddled with a decision we made now... Optionality is a good thing, especially when you have uncertainty."
Could Manhattan Beach Pull Off A November Parcel Tax?
Opponents of Measure A said they would support a different parcel tax, possibly for the November ballot, that would be sponsored by the school district (and therefore require a two-thirds vote, rather than a simple majority to pass).
"We all agree we need a parcel tax; we just don't think it should be four times higher than the current parcel tax," said Wright. "We need to be prudent, and we need to be in partnership with the community."
"The best way is to have a district-led parcel tax with larger buy-in," said Franklin. "We're for a parcel tax, it's just not this parcel tax."
"If we worked together, we would help that thing pass," added Dickinson.
But Measure A supporters noted that the process of getting a parcel tax on the ballot and passing it requires an extraordinary amount of effort.
After a 2003 parcel tax failed to pass in Manhattan Beach, "it took 15 years to come back [with another parcel tax]" said Weinstein. "I can't imagine having to wait another 15 years to have this conversation again. If not now; when?"
"It simply is isn't as easy as they're suggesting," added Mahan, noting that since district officials are not allowed to campaign, it is entirely up to well-organized volunteers to "pound the pavement" and push it through.
Yes or No?
Each side was given an opportunity for closing comments, with the order determined by the flip of a coin.
For the "No" side, Dickinson said, "We're not here because we planned a measure and then were willing to make the commitment; we reacted to something that was put out there and are trying to help people understand more of what the decision really is. And so you've got to make decisions and we're trying to give you as much information as we can and then also to talk about what the alternatives are."
He reiterated that he believed that Manhattan Beach schools were not underfunded; then said that if declining enrollment trends continue, "We have to deal with that, not just put a bunch of money in and then hope that it goes away and then spread more money across fewer kids."
"We think the community is ready to support something that is well backed and we're happy to help with that," Dickinson added. "We think a district-led initiative when we expect higher voter turnout, not less, is the way to go and its something worth working for."
Sinclair closed out the argument for the "Yes" side by saying, "Our schools are underfunded. They have struggled for years and it is no longer sustainable. California has underfunded public school education for decades and the system is broken, and the only mechanism that we have left to ensure that our schools can thrive is to take back local control of our schools from Sacramento. These are our children's schools - our community's schools. If we want to maintain them, we have to protect them and we have to invest in them."
Recognizing past and present Manhattan Beach education leaders in the audience, Sinclair added, "Every single one of these members of our community will tell you that our schools are underfunded and that they need our help. ... Look at the people in our community who support our schools, who dedicate time and resources and who have worked tirelessly to make them better, and the people who are actually looking for solutions - these are the people who have endorsed Measure A, because it is a real solution for a very real problem."
Disclaimer: MB News publisher Dave Fratello is one of the signers of the official ballot argument in favor of Measure A. Editor Jeanne Fratello is a 13-year Manhattan Beach PTA member who has made multiple trips to Sacramento to advocate for funding for Manhattan Beach public schools.
