Residents of the Emery school district pay relatively modest supplemental property taxes for the district’s construction program and operations.  Measure K on the March 3 ballot would increase the cost for an average home 37%, from $405 to $555 annually.

However, the reason the supplemental taxes are relatively low when compared to other districts is that enrollment in the school district, which serves Emeryville, is exceptionally small in proportion to the population of the city – so the cost is spread across more property owners.

Meanwhile, it turns out that, when combined with state and other funding, the district spends on a per-student basis about 50 percent above the statewide average. That’s based on 2017-18 data, the last year for which comparison numbers are available.

It’s hard to support more taxes for operations when the district already seems to be quite well-funded. Thus, voters should reject Measure K.

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The measure, which requires two-thirds approval for passage, would create a second nine-year parcel tax for property owners of $0.12 per square foot of buildings. For average home in the city of about 1,250 square feet, that works out to $150 a year.

That’s on top of an existing parcel tax for operations and another tax to cover payments on the district’s bond borrowing for school construction. The existing parcel tax, locked in through 2037, is $0.15 per square foot, or $188 annually for an average-sized home. The tax for bond payments is $66 per $100,000 of assessed value, which works out to $218 a year for an average home, assessed at $330,180.

While the total current taxes may be relatively low, that shouldn’t be an excuse for high spending. Vote no on Measure K.