Do You Support the $49 High School District Parcel Tax?

The question this week for our "You Said It" segment is: "Do You Support the $49 High School District Parcel Tax?" For the rest of the week, Los Gatos Patch will post answers to this query here.

On Wednesday we received answers from Los Gatos residents Miranda Kibel, David Lindsay, George Maus and Elizabeth Orr.

On Thursday, our answers come from Los Gatos residents Mary Chessin, Sara Thayer, Bruna DePole and Steve Stavis, who's lived in town for 34 years and is the superintendent of the Santa Clara Unified School District.

Today, Los Gatos mom Anne Hughes, daughter Laura Thapa, friend Anna Goldman and Ara Bezdjian share their thoughts.

Join the conversation! Log in to post a comment or video answer, or email sheila.sanchez@patch.com.

A little background on the tax:  trustees have placed the tax, now called Measure A, on a special May 3 mail-in ballot.

Voters in Saratoga and Los Gatos will decide whether to approve the tax that trustees say is desperately needed to plug a $942,000 budget deficit during fiscal year 2011-12 and an estimated $1.3-$1.9 million financial hole during fiscal year 2012-13. 

The tax will need a super majority of 66.6 percent voter approval to pass. It would be in effect for six years and bring in $800,000 a year or a total of $4.6 million. Senior citizens would be exempt from paying the tax.

Board president Michele van Zuiden explained that the district had reached out to ,  and  because their students are eventually served by Los Gatos High School. The district spent $450,000 from its reserves to place it on the ballot, and the community has raised money to campaign for it.