You Ask, We Answer: Pacifica School District Funding Explained

During the California Teachers Association , we received some interesting questions about how lottery funds are used in the .

As it turns out, in the 2009-10 fiscal year, CA Lottery revenues  generated $1.1 billion to subsidize the cost of education to over 8.567 million students in California’s public schools - that's $129 per pupil. 63 percent of those funds are spent on salaries and benefits for teachers, 20 percent on classroom materials such as textbooks and the remainder is spent in other areas.

It seems concerns among residents are centered on where operational funding for Pacifica public schools will come from – and rightfully so.

Pacifica Patch has put together the need-to-know facts about Pacifica School District funding:

Where does the district’s operational budget come from (current fiscal year)?

• 90 percent from state funding  
• 2 percent from foundations and grants
• 2 percent from parent teacher organizations
• 5 percent from parcel tax (Measure N – passed by voter approval in 2008)
• 1 percent from federal stimulus funding. $200,000 of federal stimulus funding has subsidized physical education, art and music programs, libraries, school safety programs and more. These funds will expire in June of this year.

What role do Measure N parcel tax funds play in the school district’s budget?

Pacifica School District has received approximately $3.2 million in funding to-date from the Measure N parcel tax, approved by voters in 2008. $1.95 million of those funds have been used for teachers’ salaries. The expected revenue from the tax is approximately $1 million per year, collected bi-annually ($500,000 in December and April) until 2013.  

How have Pacifica schools downsized due to budget cuts?

Due to budget cuts to Pacifica School District, administrators, teachers and staff have taken concessions. In 2008, all employees accepted a salary freeze. This cost-cutting measure saved the district $210,000. Employee concessions in fiscal year 2010-11 totaled approximately $831,000, which included five furlough days and a closure of all district facilities during Thanksgiving week of 2010.

Praise for Measure N

Local group, Saving Pacifica Schools, dubbed Thursday in the Week of Action “Thank You Pacifica!” day because, said member and parent of two at Matthew Levie, “we have a very active parent community that has been very knowledgable about Pacifica schools.”

Levie also credits taxpayers for helping the district weather the gap in limited state funding through Measure N parcel tax contributions.

“We are reminding [tax payers] that the parcel tax is responsible for five percent of Pacifica School District’s budget, and thanking them,” said Levie. “That money pays for 13 teachers.”  

Saving Pacifica Schools is self-described as a “political action committee that lobbies on behalf of Pacifica's public schools.”

Want to know more?

The school district has also published their 2011 annual report online for the public.