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Novato Unified board unanimously OKs placing education parcel tax on June ballot
Summary
The Novato Unified School District board voted 7‑0 to approve a resolution calling an election to place a parcel tax on the June 2, 2026 ballot, aiming to raise about $4 million annually; the board amended ballot language to clarify cuts would be "a minimum of an additional $4,000,000 in ongoing cuts."
The Novato Unified School District board voted unanimously to call an election on a proposed education parcel tax, approving a resolution to place the measure on the June 2, 2026 ballot.
Staff said the measure is structured to generate roughly $4,000,000 a year for programs and staffing the district has identified as at risk. William Tunick, the attorney who drafted the ballot materials, told trustees that the ballot label is limited to 75 words and that "you don't have much to tell voters exactly what the funds are gonna be used for." Trustees discussed clarifying a sentence in the measure that described the district's reductions if the tax failed; the board agreed to amend the language to state the district would have to make "a minimum of an additional $4,000,000 in ongoing cuts."
The board received a staff explanation of the resolution's parts, including the recitals explaining why the election is called, instructions to county officials to place the measure on the ballot and the full text that will appear in the voter information pamphlet. Tunick explained the measure includes standard accountability provisions required by law: an annual audit, a senior exemption provision and a citizens' oversight committee; he noted that, unlike bond measures, parcel taxes are not legally required to have an oversight committee but this language would require one.
Trustees debated whether the $4,000,000 referenced in the measure should be described as annual and whether the sentence should emphasize that cuts could compound; staff and trustees agreed the wording should make clear the figure represented ongoing program dollars. After discussion and a motion to adopt the resolution with the amendment, the board approved the resolution on a roll-call vote, seven ayes and zero nays.
The board chair closed the hearing and the district will now deliver the ballot language to the county superintendent and registrar of voters to place the question before Novato voters in June.
