May 26, 2010 -- Measure A, the Santa Monica Malibu-Unified School District (SMMUSD) parcel tax, failed to garner the required two-thirds support for passage following a preliminary tally of the ballots on Tuesday evening.

The measure, which would tax property owners $198 per parcel, received 11,330 votes (63.18 percent) in support. Another 6,603 ballots (36.82 percent) were cast in opposition.

Los Angeles County Registrar spokesperson Marcia Ventura said Tuesday evening that the tally included ballots received through the mail prior to Tuesday. She said she did not know how many remained uncounted.

Ballot counting could resume as early as Thursday. Beginning on that day, the Registrar has 28 days to complete the tallying process, but Ventura said it should be finished no later than June 4.

Although the result is not final, Measure A advocates have acknowledged the tax is not likely to pass. Rochelle Fanali, co-chair of the Yes on A campaign, said in a press release issued late Tuesday that meeting the two-thirds threshold “looks unreachable.”

“Despite the loss, we are a community committed to keeping quality public schools a top priority, and we will find another way,” she said.

Mathew Millen, who opposed the measure and created a web site against it, told The Lookout News the preliminary results showed many voters do not want to pay for any more education funding measures.

“The voters are upset with (the SMMUSD) trying to pass another tax after we have had bond issues for the college and school district and a parcel tax that we already have that is permanent for close to $350 per year,” he said.

Millen said he believes the SMMUSD can get the money it needs to cover its deficit from the City of Santa Monica. He believes the school district must sue the City to get it to pay this money

The SMMUSD is facing a cash shortage due to a decrease in funding from the State, its largest financial contributor. The District has $8.9 million in cuts proposed for the 2010-11 fiscal year, which begins on July 1.

These cuts include 58 District teachers, nurses and counselors who have already received layoff notices. The District had hoped to bring some of them back if Measure A were to pass. The SMMUSD has a Board of Education meeting scheduled for tonight at 5:30.

“The next few weeks will be very difficult for everyone as we consider deep and painful cuts,” said SMMUSD Superintendent Tim Cuneo in the press release issued by the Measure A advocates.

“It is important for everyone in our school community and our greater community to know that we are committed to providing every student with the very best education possible. We will be working very hard to live up to that mandate, despite constraints put on us by the State.”

Measure A advocates noted that despite the potential loss, the measure received significant support. If this were an election in which only majority support was needed for passage, it would have been considered a landslide victory.

Harry Keiley, president of the Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association, said in the press release, “We are so grateful to our community for their support and are certain that we will soon find a way to work together to help protect students and teachers in all our schools from devastating class size increases and program elimination.”

"Despite the loss, we are a community committed to keeping quality public schools a top priority, and we will find another way,"
    Rochelle Fanali

“The voters are upset with (the SMMUSD) trying to pass another tax"
    Mathew Millen

The next few weeks will be very difficult for everyone as we consider deep and painful cuts,”
        Tim Cuneo