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Early results show Menlo Park district tax measure headed for approval

Hillview Middle School seventh graders hang out during their lunch on the Menlo Park campus on Jan. 11, 2021. A parcel tax measure to keep the Menlo Park City School District financially solvent is on the Nov. 2, 2021, ballot. Photo by Magali Gauthier.

Tuesday night election results show Measure B, a parcel tax measure for the Menlo Park City School District, is getting the votes needed to pass.

Some 73.8% of voters have said yes to the measure, which requires a two-thirds, or 66.7%, voter majority, county election officials reported. Some 4,637 voters voted yes, while 1,650 voted no.

The measure, on the Nov. 2 special election ballot, asks for $598 per parcel annually, a $193 bump from the current rate of about $405. It would raise $4.6 million annually for the district, which serves about 2,700 students in Menlo Park and Atherton.

"We are grateful the community came together once again to show their deep commitment to our great public schools," said Yes on B Campaign Manager Azadeh Rasmussen on Wednesday morning. "Thank you to the many parents, teachers and school staff members who dedicated their time to support the campaign."

District officials say they listened to voters who turned down the district's past attempts at a parcel tax, measures A and C, in part, because they were evergreen taxes with no expiration dates. Instead, Measure B on the Nov. 2 ballot would sunset after 12 years, expiring in 2033. This would replace Measure X, a seven-year parcel tax which expires in June 2024. It has been described as a "stopgap" solution and raises $2.83 million annually.

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The semi-official results include vote by mail ballots received in the mail on or before Tuesday (Nov. 2) and vote by mail ballots returned at vote centers, drop boxes on or before Monday (Nov. 1) and all vote center ballots. These early results do not include vote by mail ballots received in the mail after Nov. 2, conditional voter registration or provisional ballots and vote by mail ballots dropped off at vote centers or drop boxes after Nov. 1.

This story will be updated as the vote counts continue.

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Angela Swartz
 
Angela Swartz joined The Almanac in 2018 and covers education and small towns. She has a background covering education, city politics and business. Read more >>

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Early results show Menlo Park district tax measure headed for approval

Tuesday night election results show Measure B, a parcel tax measure for the Menlo Park City School District, is getting the votes needed to pass.

Some 73.8% of voters have said yes to the measure, which requires a two-thirds, or 66.7%, voter majority, county election officials reported. Some 4,637 voters voted yes, while 1,650 voted no.

The measure, on the Nov. 2 special election ballot, asks for $598 per parcel annually, a $193 bump from the current rate of about $405. It would raise $4.6 million annually for the district, which serves about 2,700 students in Menlo Park and Atherton.

"We are grateful the community came together once again to show their deep commitment to our great public schools," said Yes on B Campaign Manager Azadeh Rasmussen on Wednesday morning. "Thank you to the many parents, teachers and school staff members who dedicated their time to support the campaign."

District officials say they listened to voters who turned down the district's past attempts at a parcel tax, measures A and C, in part, because they were evergreen taxes with no expiration dates. Instead, Measure B on the Nov. 2 ballot would sunset after 12 years, expiring in 2033. This would replace Measure X, a seven-year parcel tax which expires in June 2024. It has been described as a "stopgap" solution and raises $2.83 million annually.

The semi-official results include vote by mail ballots received in the mail on or before Tuesday (Nov. 2) and vote by mail ballots returned at vote centers, drop boxes on or before Monday (Nov. 1) and all vote center ballots. These early results do not include vote by mail ballots received in the mail after Nov. 2, conditional voter registration or provisional ballots and vote by mail ballots dropped off at vote centers or drop boxes after Nov. 1.

This story will be updated as the vote counts continue.

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