From the Oakland Tribune
Supporters of Measure L, a parcel tax for Oakland schools, say they are hopeful it will pass next month despite the lousy economy and a city appeal for additional public safety money.
If approved by two-thirds of voters on Nov. 2, Measure L would double the school parcel tax bill for local property owners, adding $195 per year. The levy would generate an estimated $20 million a year for teachers and other school employees until 2021. Independently run charter schools, which educate more than one in every six public school students in the city, would receive 15 percent of the revenue.
Kakishiba said a salary increase would help to reduce the district’s high teacher turnover rate and improve the quality of teaching, particularly at schools with high attrition. Oakland teachers are among the lowest paid in Alameda County, earning an average base salary of about $54,000.
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