Schools
Cupertino Celebrates Likely Parcel Tax Victory
Measure C leaders decided the vote was well off enough to celebrate a win Tuesday night.
Campaign leaders and Cupertino's supporters celebrated Tuesday night with results over what the measure needed to win—70 percent "yes" votes and 30 percent "no" votes, according to the county registrar's website.
The vote was the second parcel tax Cupertino Union School District residents have been asked to approve in just two years, each worth $125. The district includes 20 elementary schools and five middle schools across six cities.
“We are in very good standing and we’re very, very pleased that our community came together and shared their love for their schools in passing a special tax,” Phyllis Vogel, school board member and Measure C co-chairwoman, said Tuesday night.
Find out what's happening in Cupertinowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“We’re hoping that we’re home free and we’re celebrating a victory tonight.”
The tax needs a two-thirds plus one vote to pass.
Find out what's happening in Cupertinowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
According to Elma Rosas, spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, there will be another posting Wednesday that will include ballots dropped off close to Tuesday's 8 p.m. deadline.
In early- through mid-April as residents received their ballots for the special mail-in election, Phil Quon, superintendent of the Cupertino Union School District, said the new tax would be necessary this year, because even though the 2009 parcel tax filled in the budget gap at the time, the state has continued to cut funding to schools.
Vogel said the district hopes it won't have to lay off teachers or counselors or reduce library hours.
“At this point, it’s still uncertain, but it will definitely be minimized because of the tax,” Vogel said. The tax will generate $4.3 million.
Besides Measure C, there were three parcel tax measures in Santa Clara County—Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, Sunnyvale School District and the Los Altos Elementary School District.
Of the four measures, the Los Altos School District has the closest call, with a 67 percent "yes" and 33 percent "no" count for its parcel tax.
Cupertino Patch will update the results as more votes are counted Wednesday.
