In September, by way of a 4-1 vote, the Antioch Unified School District Board of Trustees offered their support of Proposition 55. On Wednesday, a school employee blasted trustee Fernando Navarro on his “no vote”.
Proposition 55 is not a new tax, rather it extends by twelve years the temporary personal income tax increases enacted in 2012 on earnings over $250,000, with revenues allocated to K–12 schools, California Community Colleges, and, in certain years, healthcare. Fiscal Impact: Increased state revenues—$4 billion to $9 billion annually from 2019–2030—depending on economy and stock market. Increased funding for schools, community colleges, health care for low–income people, budget reserves, and debt payments.
Ken Kent, who is a 5th grade teacher at Kimball Elementary School, under staff comments thanked the Board for supporting Prop 55 which extends the income from proposition 30. He highlighted how Prop 30 has provided $67 million over the past 3-years to the District.
He noted its allowed the District to bring back computer program, music programs, reading intervention programs to provide support to students.
“I was disappointed to hear that interim member Fernando Navarro voted against the resolution for Prop 55. You sir have put your own ideology ahead of your duty to care for the education of Antioch Students. You voted to deny millions of education dollars to Antioch Families and students. You have broken your oath. You voted against computer programs. You voted against reading and math interventions. You voted against healthy instrument and tutoring programs. Your threw your hands in the air and told the most struggling students and families in Antioch that we will just have to find another way. Shame on you for your callous and cavalier attitude towards education. Antioch families and students deserve a caring, intelligent board member with vision and you are not that board member. You are not the board member that Antioch students and families deserve. My apologies to the rest of the board, this was unacceptable.”
According to the Sept. 14, 2016 meeting minutes, it stated that Board Trustee Debra Vinson asked for time to research the proposition and request this resolution be brought back to the next board meeting. Meanwhile Fernando Navarro echoed the comments of Debra Vinson and stated he does not support the resolution as he does not believe the rich should be taxed.
At the Sept. 28, 2016 meeting, Navarro asked for the meeting minutes to be clarified.
“That is not a direct quote, what I said was if the resolution taxes the top 2% and the 2% vote with their feet we are the two percent left over. That is the direct quote,” said Navarro.
According to the meeting minutes on the Resolution for Prop 55 support:
- Debra Vinson stated after research she was now in favor of the resolution.
- Walter Ruehlig stated he reluctantly supports the resolution but was concerned with the temporary tax being extended again.
- Fernando Navarro stated that this is not a temporary tax as the language suggests and he does not support this proposition out of respect to taxpayers in our district, he further stated that we need to live within our means.
- Alonzo Terry stated that he will support this resolution but the term “temporary” sounds like permanent.
- Diane Gibson-Gray stated that she supports the proposition and reminded Board members that they need to set their personal opinions aside for the good of the Districts students.
- Motion passed 4-1 with Navarro being the “no” vote.
According to the California Teachers Association, they issued a “yes on 55” statement and provided the following Q&A: https://www.cta.org/~/media/Documents/Campaign%2016/Prop%2055%20FAQ%20Updated%20CTA%2071116.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20161014T1219299848
Disclosure: Mike Burkholder, publisher of EastCountyToday, is also a candidate for the Antioch School Board. All audio and meeting minutes to the Prop 55 discussion can be found on the AUSD website.
7 comments
Thank you Mr. Kent for speaking up on behalf of education. Mr. Navarro has to go! I feel sorry for the students of this District, this school board is a disaster which the very board created by appointing two unqualified applicants onto the Board in the first place. They let personal feelings dictate the most qualified candidate which would ave been Joy Motts during the application process. Now we are all stuck. Vote them all out!
Prop 55 has little impact on residents of Antioch because how many make $250k per year? ANY school board member who votes against Prop 55 is not fit to serve on a school board because the role of a school board member is to have the best interest of the students first! Not personal agenda.
Kent is right when he say Antioch families and students deserve a caring, intelligent board member with vision and you are not that board member. You are not the board member that Antioch students and families deserve
You people are stupid. School districts get way too much of our tax dollar and give us so little in return. The more money we shovel their way the more they want. It has become a black hole.
Educate yourselves. Education already takes 60 to 70 percent of your tax dollars! If you want better policing, better fire protection, better roads and better services, the balance must change.
Mr. Navarro got it right. Don’t trash him for figuring it out before the bleeding hearts and liberal money spenders did. All those commercials you see right now for prop 55 are all put out by the spin doctors.
If you care about reform, vote NO on 55.
This district must stop the over spending or it will be bankrupt just like the city of Antioch.
When they say Prop 55 will serve the district they are being smart by half. YES IT WILL BENEFIT THE DISTRICT but not the KIDS.
Prop 55 was pushed FOR THE UNIONS, BY THE UNIONS to the detriment of THE KIDS.
The AUSD is running a $2million deficit because they are cornered into ponying up to cover the unfunded liability for their lotto pensions.
DON’T BE FOOLED. IT IS NOT FOR THE KIDS.
Navarro has it 1000%
it is NOT sustainable. when your attacking the ‘rich’ (aka the middle class) when they leave the state ..guess what!..we who are left …are the ‘rich!!
Research has shown over and over again students success is contingent on the PARENTS’ efforts. Help with homework, with extra curricular activities, simply spending time with them without ANY taxes involved. Quit putting all the pressure on the school district and admin to raise YOUR KIDS. Goodness some people should not have children and just adopt a pet or an orphan. 100
A Kimball student, walking after school with Antioch Middle school students, approached me. The middle school students continued into a gas station convenience store. The Kimball student came to me, while I was pumping gas, and demanded: “Give me some money”. This is what the extra taxes has been spent on. A student who continues to learn from the streets and not from our schools. Yes, I expect schools to drill money is earned and not just given to you. Yes, starting from day one.
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