The Alameda PTA Council and Alameda PTA School sites gave thanks to all our wonderful staff at AUSD during the last two weeks.  Last Tuesday, we were able to treat them all to a wonderful bagel, cream cheese and lox breakfast as they arrived for work.  Then a week later, a delicious pot pie lunch with awesome deserts contributed 
by each school sites.  In a heartfelt sign of support from our AUSD students, thank you cards were posted along the hallway from many of our different schools. 

Thank you AUSD!

On Monday, May 16th the Alameda PTA Council participated in the Peralta District PTA's Founders Day Ceremony. During this ceremony, I had the honor of presenting the Founders Day & Perlata District PTA Very Special Person Award award to Sarah Olaes. 
 

Sarah is an extremely active parent at Otis elementary school. When her oldest son was in kindergarten, Sarah took over the AEF after school enrichment program. At the time, the program offered just a few courses but under Sarah’s tutelage it has grown into a broad, wide-ranging selection that lives up to its purpose and that it to enrich the children who take the classes.  Sarah has offered her guidance to other enrichment program chairs and she was recently hired by the Alameda Education Foundation to coordinate the enrichment programs citywide.  And while we celebrate that move for Sarah, the Alameda PTA Council wasn’t thinking of her work at Otis when we unanimously nominated Sarah for the Council's Founders Day Award & the Peralta District PTA's Very Special Person Award.
 
Sarah is best known, and most gratefully thanked, for her role as campaign volunteer coordinator for both Measure E and Measure A, two parcel tax campaigns that aimed to expand local funding to support Alameda’s public school.  Her efforts as volunteer coordinator mobilized several hundred volunteers through two campaigns. Volunteers for every PTA in Alameda worked with Sarah to secure funding for our schools. While Measure E failed last year, I am happy to share that Sarah immediately rejoined the next campaign effort and Measure A passed, bringing aprox. $12 million in to Alameda Schools each year for the next 7 years. Without the incredible dedication of Sarah, and the entire Measure A Campaign staff, our community would not be able to pause during this ongoing state of fiscal emergency for California’s education budget. Alameda is certainly facing ongoing budget cuts along with the rest of California’s schools, but because of the Herculean efforts of Sarah, and the entire Measure A Campaign committee, the choices we would be facing  in Alameda would be a lot more difficult.
 
So on behalf of the Alameda PTA Council, I say thank you Sarah. For the work you’ve done for the community in two parcel tax campaigns. Your efforts truly brought the community together is ways many thought would never be possible. 

 

Christine Strena

President, Alameda PTA Council

Several Units are asking about how to address Measure A during the Kindergarten Information Night. Following is some information that the PTA Council assisted the Measure A Campaign to create for the school captains.  

 

If your unit has voted to support Measure A, seek approval from your PTA President and Principal about having a short discussion about Measure A during Kindergarten Information Night. If your PTA Unit has not yet voted to support Measure A, please mention there is a special election on March 8 on Measure A, the parcel tax supporting Alameda's public schools and more information can be found online.
 
The presentation must be from a PTA member.  The discussion begins with what your PTA does to support the school, staff and curriculum. This is the time for our PTA to brag about all the great stuff being done at your school site.
 
Segway into:  One of the roles of the PTA is to advocate for programs that benefit our schools, and as part of this role, our PTA has voted to support the parcel tax campaign, Measure A. They can then talk about what their PTA is doing to support the Parcel Tax Campaign.
 
I would recommend that the following information be readily available as talking points but not the focus of the conversation. Remember, parents are sending their children to school, many for the first time and have concerns about this, let alone what school might look like without the parcel tax in place. I'd recommend this as a FAQ for speakers to highlight.  
 

FAQ
What is Measure A? Under the proposed parcel tax, both residential and commercial property owners each year will pay 32 cents per square foot, but only on their building square footage (not their total property or "parcel"). The maximum amount a property owner will pay will be $7999 per parcel. Put another way, property owners will only pay a tax on the first 24,996 square feet of their buildings. Properties that have no buildings on them (such as parking lots) will pay $299.

The taxes paid under the new parcel tax will replace those currently paid under the previous Measures A and H.

 
Why do we need Measure A?  We are lucky to have quality schools and great teachers in Alameda. But our schools are facing a serious lack of funding due to state budget cuts and two local parcel taxes that are going to expire in June 2012.  Measure A is needed to help replace the expiring parcel taxes and the large cuts the State government has made to public education, and minimize further district cuts.
 
What will it pay for?  It will pay for specific programs, including small class sizes (25:1) for K-3, teaching positions, neighborhood schools, academic / enrichment programs (music, media, PE, arts), technology, as well as counselors and high school athletics. It will also restore 5 days of school that were cut from the school calendar.
 
Who supports it?  Our school board voted unanimously to place this measure on the March 8 ballot, and it has wide support from the community. Our Alameda City Council, Chamber of Commerce, and the West Alameda Business Association have all endorsed Measure A.
 
When is the election and how do I vote?  The election will take place at your local polling place on March 8, or you can vote by absentee ballot. If you’d like to find out more, please come talk to me, or visit www.alamedasos.org.

Document to have on hand: page 9 from 11/30/10 AUSD presentation (attached).

 

As a result of ongoing budget cuts and the loss of the last parcel tax election, AUSD has spent several months out lining budget cuts that will result in school closures and consolidations. This process is based on the AUSD Master Plan and has assumed two distinct paths: Scenario A, which includes local funding through a parcel tax or Scenario B, which does not include local funding through a parcel tax.

Q: Can we share information supporting the parcel tax on our school campus?

A: No. Political Activity is not allowed on Alameda public school campuses. No political information may be sent home with students.

Attached are the guidelines that Tom Lynch and I have pulled together for PTAs on how your units can support the AUSD Parcel Tax Campaign. The information is pulled from the CA PTA, the IRS, the California Fair Political Practice Commission and Alliance for Justice and is provided as a guide for your units.
 
Each unit is responsible for ensuring they are following the proper reporting requirements and tax regulations in order to maintain their 501(c)(3) status.
 
Please let me know if there are any corrections or additional questions and we will add these to our FAQ as we find answers.  This information will be updated on this website.
 
The goal of this document is to be sure that the PTA's are able to support the parcel tax campaign as much or as little as is appropriate for your membership.
 
Thank you for all that you do to support our schools!
 
Christine Strena
President, Alameda PTA Council