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Sacramento City Unified School District is considering asking voters to approve a parcel tax, as district officials search for new local revenue to support student programs and services amid an unprecedented budget crisis.
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During Thursday’s board meeting, Chris Ralston, SCUSD’s assistant superintendent of facilities, outlined the possibility of adding a parcel tax measure to the November ballot. A parcel tax is a local tax that property owners would pay for each parcel they own within the school district.
“The parcel tax doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s one piece of a larger fiscal sustainability plan the district is working through,” Ralston said.
“We’re not coming to the community asking for more revenue without doing our own hard work first.”
While the possible uses of a parcel tax were still being shaped, Ralston said, the idea was “a conversation starter” to channel dedicated local revenue for students.
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Parcel taxes are not based on property value, and the district has not yet proposed a specific amount property owners would pay. The measure would need approval from more than two-thirds of voters to pass. Thursday’s presentation served as an early step in the process, and the board voted to let staff continue exploring the option.
The district plans to survey voters on the proposal from June 25 to July 12 and present the results to the board on July 23. Staff would later return with a public hearing and formal resolution before the measure could be placed on the ballot.
The presentation came as the district scrambles to close its ongoing budget deficit and avoid state receivership. During the meeting, the board approved a budget showing that the district’s fiscal crisis could stretch years beyond next school year.
Amid the district’s financial strain, Ralston floated another funding idea in April, when he suggested a bond measure for school consolidation and modernization, with the money going toward facilities and infrastructure projects.
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“We have a tight but workable window,” Ralston said.