Letter to the Editor

Media deserves blame for parcel tax defeat
We only have two newspapers in Hollister, one comes out weekly
and one twice a week. They offer conservative opinions and limit
progressive views from being published. In the effort by the
Hollister School District to save some of the programs in the
schools through a parcel tax ballot initiative, the local media
monopoly actively disseminated misleading information as news
articles.
Media deserves blame for parcel tax defeat

We only have two newspapers in Hollister, one comes out weekly and one twice a week.  They offer conservative opinions and limit progressive views from being published.  In the effort by the Hollister School District to save some of the programs in the schools through a parcel tax ballot initiative, the local media monopoly actively disseminated misleading information as news articles.

The parcel tax would have returned the libraries, computer supervisors, music program and athletics programs, and would have given schools funding to improve academic programs at each school site.  The local media scared the public by exaggerating the amount the election would cost, suggested that the local campaign was deceptive by waiting so late and by giving senior citizens the option of being exempted by the parcel tax. 

Furthermore, they provided a large opinion editorial by Marty Richman, who argued that the financial woes of HSD are because school employees are hauling home fat paychecks. 

Public schools are publicly funded entities, meaning they rely on tax dollars to survive.  Some schools are in communities that can provide enough tax money to fully fund schools. 

Other school districts like HSD don’t have a strong enough revenue base to provide sufficient funding.  So HSD is a revenue limit district, which means we rely on state funding.  The state has been reducing funding significantly and taking a portion of local school district funding.  In 2007 school districts received higher funding, but they have been reduced dramatically every year since.

Teacher and other employee salaries are not that high and over the past few years they have been taking cuts in days paid, job reductions and health benefits.  The question of how much money goes into salaries and benefits in comparison to the budget has shifted, not because teachers and staff make too much money, but rather that the revenues have been shrinking, due to state budget cuts.

The superintendent has been with HSD since July 2010.  The majority of the school board was elected in December 2010.  We have made many unpopular decisions regarding budget cuts in order to reduce the deficit.  We have made many tough decisions and are now working with minimum staff sizes, reduced operation budgets and reduced programs.  There are casualties at every level, but the worst casualties are the students. 

It looks as though Measure A (parcel tax initiative) is receiving a majority vote, but not the 2/3 it needs for passage.  This may be a victory for conservatives, but is a disservice to children.  How many people would like their jobs replaced by volunteers?  How many people would expect to work for free? 

We have to be reasonable.  People want to us make cuts.  We did.  We cut library supervisors, computer lab supervisors, a music teacher and the athletics program. 

Now some people argue that we should just get volunteers to do the work that paid employees have done. 

I have spoken with school district employees who have expressed how the school district’s cuts have affected their lives, in terms of not being able to afford health insurance or making their mortgage payments and losing their homes.

The school board of trustees has made efforts to meet with people in the community to discuss their concerns.  We had open community forums.  I have held community forums myself.  We supported the efforts of the committee to restore the music program.  We met with a Pinnacle/Free Lance reporter to talk about our efforts to engage in proactive measures to improve the school district in these difficult economic times. 

I have personally submitted numerous letters to the editor (many are not published).  We supported an effort to build a non-profit organization to seek out alternative funding for schools.

There are no simple answers or simple solutions to this crisis.  Every decision has a human consequence.  Public education is a public service.  Schools are public service organizations. 

Therefore, it is logical to understand that most of our revenues go into paying salaries to the people who deliver the public service, which in our case is education. 

The local media could have been partners in supporting our efforts to maintain our threatened programs, but instead chose to encourage public sentiment against schools and children.

Joe Navarro

Hollister school board trustee