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The School Newspaper of Placer High School

Hillmen Messenger

The School Newspaper of Placer High School

Hillmen Messenger

Passage of Prop 30 saves PUHSD 2.1 Million dollars

Passage of Prop 30 saves PUHSD 2.1 Million dollars

Prop 30 has passed, and while educators are pleased, not everyone is celebrating the significant tax increase. The vote passed last week with a 53.3% yes vote and a 46.7% no vote counted as of November 7.

 

Prop 30 will raise sales taxes for the next four years, and income taxes for the next seven.

 

“Just because I value education and my job, I am ok with paying taxes. I can see how it’s going to affect some more than others, but everyone needs to pay their fair share,” said Art teacher Kaija Perkins-Uno.

 

The sales tax increase will affect everyone, raising the sales tax to 7.5% from 7.25%, a 3.45% tax increase. According to stopprop30.com,Californiaalready has the highest state tax in the country, and this increase will create an unbreakable lead.

 

Unlike the sales tax, the increase in income taxes will not affect every citizen, only those in the outlined four new tax brackets. These brackets include incomes $250,000 but less than $300,000, $300,000 but less than $500,000, $500,000 to $1,000,000, and everything over $1,000,000.

 

According to ballotpedia.org, the first bracket will receive a 10.3% income tax, the second an 11.3% tax, and the third a 12.3% tax. This increase is only 1-3% over the previous 9.3% standard income tax. This new tax is estimated to apply to about the top 3% ofCaliforniatax payers.

 

There have been many varying predictions over the amount of revenue schools will receive. Jerry Brown estimated that there will be about $9 billion collected annually, while the non-partisan Legislative Office says that $6.8 billion is more realistic. Either way, a large amount of money will be dedicated to education inCaliforniathanks to this new law, and the help could not have come sooner.

 

These revenues will be divided between K-12 schools and community colleges, with K-12 receiving 89% of revenue and community colleges receiving the other 11%.

 

According to Perkins-Uno, some districts, including theSan Juandistrict, would have had to make some serious cuts just to remain afloat. These cuts include art programs, sports, and creating an excessive amount of furlough days.

 

“My sister [a teacher in theSan Juandistrict] would have had a pay cut of up to $1,000 every month because they were assigning so many furloughs,” said Perkins-Uno.

 

Even our district was looking into the eyes of some serious budget cuts.PlacerHigh Schoolhas about 1372 students. According to the Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services, Doug Marquand, there was going to be a $507ADA(Average Daily Attendance) cut for every student effective next year. That means thatPlacerHigh schoolalone would lose $695,604 next year if Prop 30 did not pass.

 

“If Prop 30 did not pass, we would have lost an additional $2.1 million in our district,” said Marquand.

 

Because of Prop 30,Californiaschools, even Placer will be able to stay afloat and continue educating the 6,323,367 students in grades K-12.

 

However, Prop 30 did not please every voter inCalifornia.

 

According to Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State,

 

“Nothing in Prop 30 reforms our education system to cut waste, eliminate bureaucracy, or cut administration overhead.”

 

Also, a research paper written by Peter Schaafsma, said that even without Prop 30, schools would have received an additional $1.2 billion, calculating to $610 per pupil.

 

Not all voters are pleased with this new tax, but Prop 30 has been passed, andCaliforniaschools and educators are rejoicing.

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