In response to proposed state budget cuts, Alameda Unified School District has proposed
devastating cuts in high school sports, elementary music, college advanced placement
programs, school counseling, closure of schools sites, and elimination of smaller class
sizes in elementary schools.
It's essential to pass Measure H in order to prevent
the proposed cuts and to maintain the excellence of Alameda's public schools.
Keep Alameda Schools Excellent - Yes on Measure H (KASE) is a group of concerned
Alamedans – parents, teachers, local leaders and activists – who support the
parcel tax, and are committed to promoting and maintaining excellence within Alameda's
public schools.
On June 3rd, vote YES on Measure H to Keep Alameda's Schools Excellent.
On Friday 6/27, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters officially certified
the June 3rd election result.
Measure H
received 11445 yes votes, or 66.90% of the vote, and has passed.
June 19th 2008 More votes counted
The Alameda County Registrar of Voters released another
updated count today for Measure H, with 65 additional votes counted. Measure H
now stands at 66.90 percent approval, 119 votes above the level needed to
pass.
The Alameda County Registrar of Voters released another
updated count today for Measure H, with 540 new votes counted, and is now over
the two-thirds majority required for approval:
Votes
Percent
Yes
11397
66.87
No
5646
33.13
June 10th 2008
Continuing coverage of Measure H count
The Alameda County Registrar of Voters released another
updated count today for Measure H, with 142 new votes counted. Provisional
ballots, of which there are believed to be around 6500 county-wide, will start
to be counted tomorrow. Measure H currently has 66.66% approval, with
two thirds approval required to pass:
Votes
Percent
Yes
11001
66.66
No
5502
33.34
June 8th 2008 Measure H count coverage
Various local media outlets are covering the tight race for Measure H:
The Alameda County Registrar of Voters released another
updated count today for Measure H. Counting of absentee ballots is complete,
with the exception of about 100 ballots county-wide that were rejected by the
optical scanning machine. Provisional ballots, of which there are believed to
be around 6500 county-wide, will start to be counted next week. Measure H
currently has 66.65% approval, with two thirds approval required to pass:
Votes
Percent
Yes
10905
66.65
No
5456
33.35
June 5th 2008 Measure H approval moves higher as vote counting continues
The Alameda County Registrar of Voters released an updated count for Measure H,
as counting of absentee ballots continues. Measure H currently has 66.37%
approval, short of the 66.67% approval required to pass:
Votes
Percent
Yes
10225
66.37
No
5181
33.63
Absentee ballot counting continues tomorrow, provisional ballots are also
yet to be counted.
June 4th 2008 Reaction from KASE on June 3rd results
"We are grateful to the thousands of Alamedans who voted yesterday. As of
today, Measure H received more than 65% 'yes' votes. In most races, this would
be a landslide. Unfortunately, a parcel tax election still requires a 2/3
majority to pass. While we hoped to exceed the requirement last night, as
of today, ballots are still being counted. Yes on H remains optimistic that
the final results will meet the 2/3 requirement. We extend our deep
gratitude to the hundreds of volunteers who worked to save Alameda schools
from the State budget crisis and continue to work to Keep Alameda Schools
Excellent"
--Ron Mooney, Treasurer, Yes on H
May 18th 2008 Alameda Kids and Community: Yes on H!
Created by Kevin Gorham, Larry Freeman, Joe Louie, and Diana Kenney
On May 14th, Governor Schwarzenegger released his May Revision to the 2008-'09
budget proposal. While backing away from suspension of Prop.98, which ensures
minimum levels of funding for schools, the revised proposal still contains
over $4 billion of cuts in school funding for
2008-'09.
The budget is far from agreement in Sacramento, with both Republican and
Democratic party leaders rejecting the Governor's proposals shortly after their
release.
While the exact impact on Alameda's school district is still being determined,
it's likely we still face a budget cut comparable to that which was proposed
in January.
Reaction from Bill Schaff, Keep Alameda Schools Excellent, Yes on H:
"Alamedans cannot afford to gamble with the Governor's revised plan to fix
the budget crisis. While it appears to meet requirements under Prop 98, the
revised budget is a shell game, leaving our schools the biggest loser. Without
final numbers, which are several weeks away, and continued rhetoric from
Sacramento, we still must anticipate a $4 million hit to Alameda schools. The
only way to protect our children is to pass Measure H on June 3rd."
From Luz T. Cazares, Chief Financial Officer,
Alameda Unified School District:
"The budget battle is far from over and we should not be fooled by the 'sound
bites' coming from Sacramento. The Governor's latest proposals are risky and
controversial at best. The only responsible thing that AUSD can do at this
point is to continue with our own budget development process and the spending
reductions we have put in place. We don't believe that the Governor has
fixed anything with his May budget revision."
From Ardella Dailey, Superintendent,
Alameda Unified School District:
"The Governor's current budget proposal is about as risky as saying that I
can build the school district's budget based on winning the lottery. What
are my chances of that?"
More reaction to the revised budget proposal:
State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O'Connell:
"To say that education is fully funded in this budget is an overstatement..."
San Francisco Chronicle:
"(Under this proposal) funding would drop by 8.8 percent... schools and programs would not escape deep cuts"
California State Assembly Budget Committee:
"$4.3 billion in cuts to education, similar to what was proposed in the
January budget"
