Mandy Lowell was the president of PAUSD president, and school board member for many years. She was a Harvard educated lawyer, a Paly mother and a respected community leader.

The information is on the Support A website, but here are some quick answers.

How much extra tax dollars each household is expected to pay? Is it a permanent tax or it is a tax for a few years. 

• This adds $120 per year to what are currently paying. Not permanent. Extends for 6 years. 

Palo Alto property value appreciated tremendously in the last few years, tax revenue must have increased hugely. Why do we still ask for more money?

• Real Estate "value" is not the same as "appraised" tax value. (see below-- indeed 1 in 5 Palo Alto homes are appraised at less than $200,000, but through their actual value is much higher. )

• Palo Alto does have high home values and gets more tax revenue than many other districts, but when you see a home worth $1 million on your street, it does not mean that the tax is based on the $1million. It largely depends on when the home sold. This is state-wide Prop 13 which was intended to keep homeowners, whose property taxes had previously increased when their home values rose, from being driven out of their long-term homes by the increased taxes. 

• The amount used for tax payments shows that 22% of Palo Alto single family homes are valued at less than $200,000 and 43% are valued at less than $600,000.
• For your quantitative friends, the following might be interesting
See http://emma.msrb.org/EP815493-EP631126-EP1032914.pdf (Bond offering Pge 13, Breakdown of Assessed valuation of Single Family Homes)

• page 13 gives you the assessed tax values of single family homes. The tax money is not based on the Current Market Value, but rather on the Assessed Value of homes, which increases to appreciate market value when a house is sold. So despite the high potential value of a home, taxes are paid on an amount based on the last sales price, which may have been 20, 30, or 40 years ago. 

Who will benefit from this parcel tax?

PAUSD, children of PAUSD, and families with

Children in PAUSD will benefit directly.  An outstanding school district will benefit everyone in our community.

• For most of who pays lower property tax, home owners do not have school children. A vote of yes to Measure A will be a vote to support those who have school children families.


Palo Alto school budget is one of the highest in bay area. Why do we still ask for more money?

• The fund is to keep the outstanding education we have. Districts ask for these funds to have smaller classes, better programs etc. 

• PAUSD is not unique in asking for a parcel tax. Menlo Park residents pay 3 parcel taxes.

• A Menlo Park City School District parcel tax, Measure C ballot question was on the May 4, 2010 ballot for voters in the Menlo Park City School District in San Mateo County, where it was approved.

• Voters were asked to approve an annual $178 tax for every real estate parcel in the district. The new Measure C tax will be in force for 7 years. Residents of the district already pay a $565 annual parcel tax. The new tax is expected to raise about $1.37 million each year
• http://ballotpedia.org/Menlo_Park_City_School_District_parcel_tax,_Measure_C_%28May_2010%29