GUSD board has yet to take a stand on Proposition 82
Gilroy – Santa Clara County Supervisors placed their stamp of approval on the Preschool for All initiative at Tuesday’s meeting.
Proposition 84, which will appear on the June ballot, was supported by Supervisors Jim Beall, Blanca Alvarado and Pete McHugh. Supervisors Don Gage and Liz Kniss were opposed.
County staffers had recommended that the Board of Supervisors remain neutral on the issue because “it takes one of the few remaining sources of revenue and dedicates it to a single issue rather than augmenting the state general fund, which could benefit a number of programs, including many county services.”
But Supervisor Alvarado made a motion to support the initiative, said County Spokeswoman Gwendolyn Mitchell.
If the Preschool for All initiative, which was originally scheduled to appear on a previous ballot, passes this spring all California 4-year-olds will be eligible to attend state-funded preschool, regardless of family income. Rob Reiner, the actor who spearheaded the bill, pulled it from the ballot the last time around because approval was dwindling.
To bump up support, Reiner assembled a research committee comprised of business, education and labor organizations.
Supervisor Gage said he didn’t throw his support at Proposition 84 because the single issue would tap-out a lucrative funding source and thus abandon a number of key areas that need to be addressed.
“It wasn’t inclusive enough,” he said. ” I didn’t vote for it because right now I think they have a long way to go.”
The initiative would be funded through a 1.7-percent income tax increase on the wealthiest 1 percent of Californians, beginning with married couples earning more than $800,000 and singles earning $400,000 a year or more.
Gage also said he doesn’t think the monies earmarked for the initiative will fully fund it once its implemented. Still, the supervisor said opposing the proposition was a difficult decision to make since he agreed with its objective.
“All my grandkids went to preschool and you need to get them social at an early age,” he said.
The Gilroy Unified School District board has yet to take a stand on the issue. Board President Pat Midtgaard said the members haven’t discussed the initiative yet but she said the board will probably place it on a future agenda since it’s related to education.
Midtgaard said she doesn’t know enough about the bill to voice her opinion.
“I don’t feel knowledgeable about it yet,” she said.
