Frequently Asked Questions
The following answers were prepared by the Committee for Quality Valley Community Schools Yea On A FPPC #1481935 in an effort to increase transparency about the upcoming Measure A election. This Committee supports the Lagunitas School District in putting forth Measure A, and contains strong representation from the District including Kathleen Graham (Superintendent of Lagunitas Community School) and Steve Rebscher (Lagunitas School Board Member), along with John Carroll (Marin County Superintendent of Schools and a resident of Woodacre).
Use “+” to expand to see answers.
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No. It’s a renewal of the local parcel tax that has been continually supported by San Geronimo Valley residents since 1987. It has been renewed 3 times, with its last approval in 2017. This parcel tax is paid each year via Valley homeowner property tax bills.
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The local parcel tax proposed by Measure A provides over 20% of the annual budget for the Lagunitas School District. This critical funding pays for teacher salaries, classroom instructional aides, the school libraries, and other essential programs that keep TK-8th Lagunitas Community School thriving. Passing Measure A is essential before our existing parcel tax funding expires in June 2026.
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The existing parcel tax for year 2025/2026 is $831. Measure A proposes an $850 tax per parcel starting July 2026 (2.2% increase). The existing parcel tax has a 6.5% yearly cost-of-living adjustment, whereas Measure A proposes a lower 4% yearly cost-of-living adjustment.
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4% is needed as part of this measure to ensure maintenance of programs/salaries at the school. A cost-of-living adjustment is needed because each year the cost of running the school goes up (wages, benefits, supplies, utilities, etc). In the previous measure (2017), a higher 6.5% yearly cost-of-living adjustment was included in order to get Lagunitas funding caught up to a level closer to other districts.
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Our existing parcel tax (approved in 2017) expires in June 2026. Without the parcel tax funds, Lagunitas would need to reduce the number of teachers, increase class sizes, and reduce or cut critical programs and services including instructional aides and intervention. Such cuts would have devastating consequences for our school and the community.
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Well funded schools make communities more attractive to families, which increases property values and builds sustainable community in the San Geronimo Valley. Also, well funded schools provide services that develop more civic minded youth.
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Measure A provides an option for 65+ to seek exemption as this is an understandable concern.
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Yes, Lagunitas School District Board of Trustees held a public hearing on October 16 2025, and has discussed the parcel tax at each of its School Board meetings since. For further information, please access the District & School Board information on lagunitas.org.
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Lagunitas School District has lower base funding through regular property taxes than many other Marin districts so the parcel tax enables Lagunitas to come closer to providing similar levels of support.
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The following chart was provided by the District Secretary/HR, Liz Wickersham.
As of October 2025 (census timing for CDE), here are the enrollment numbers for Lagunitas Community School for year 2025/2026:
Overall LCS Students (green): 168
Middle School Students (blue): 69
Elementary Students (yellow): 99
Please see below for a graph of Lagunitas enrollment numbers for the last 5 years. Note: Lagunitas School District made the decision to merge Open Classroom and Montessori elementary programs in Spring 2023, and elementary enrollment has grown since then (so much so that we now have a dedicated TK/K classroom).
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The following table has been provided by John Carroll, Marin County Superintendent of Schools and shows the existing parcel taxes across Marin districts as of September 2025 (please note that the table has not been updated with the Measure A renewal for Lagunitas for July 2026, which includes $850 parcel tax and 4% adjustment).
Most Marin school districts have existing parcel taxes to support their district funding, as shown below. Lagunitas’ existing parcel tax ($831 for 2025-2026, and the Measure A proposal of $850 per parcel with 4% yearly cost-of-living adjustment) is mid-range compared to other Marin district parcel taxes. Ross, Mill Valley, Larkspur-Corte Madera, and Kentfield all have higher parcel taxes than Lagunitas, the highest being Kentfield at $1842 per parcel for 2025-2026. Many Marin districts will be asking for renewals in the next few years. Both Kentfield and Larkspur Corte-Madera have 5% yearly cost-of-living adjustments, which is higher than Measure A. It is important to note that the base funding for Lagunitas is less than several other Marin districts due to lower property tax collection (smaller valley, lower cost homes) in comparison to other Marin districts, and therefore Measure A is critical to Lagunitas School District funding.
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Lagunitas is not the lowest paying district in Marin but it does pay less in general than several other Marin districts (Ross, Tam, Reed, Mill Valley, Bolinas-Stinson, Shoreline, Kentfield, etc.). Therefore, this parcel tax is critical to maintaining Lagunitas salaries.
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Heartwood (2014) and RVC (2017) give Valley families a choice in schools, and families make the best choice for their kids.
Ross Valley Charter (TK thru 5th) is the only state-approved charter in Marin. This funding model requires Lagunitas to pay a fixed amount for every student that lives in our district that attends RVC each year. These students return to Lagunitas for middle school (6th thru 8th grade). Approximately 20 Valley students currently attend RVC.
Heartwood (TK thru 8th) was locally authorized in another county, not by the state, so their enrollment does not financially impact Lagunitas.
Valley students attending Heartwood and RVC are welcome to return to Lagunitas at any point in their school journey if they choose to do so.
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Lagunitas has a rich history of progressive education, including multiple different programs to provide choice to parents. All three programs thrived at different points in Lagunitas’ history. The Waldorf program closed and those parents opened Heartwood (2014). Open Classroom and Montessori continued through 2023, when there was a Lagunitas School Board vote to merge these programs (and the middle school) into a singular Lagunitas Community School. This new school blends the essential elements of both Open Classroom and Montessori, builds a TK-8th journey for our Valley kids, and also is a community school model with its partnership with SGVCC. Today, Lagunitas Community School is thriving.
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A community school is a public school that partners with families and local organizations to support students’ academic, social, and emotional well-being. At Lagunitas Community School, this approach includes strong family engagement, access to health, wellness, and social services through community partnerships, after-school and enrichment opportunities, and a whole-child approach alongside academic instruction.
Additional information about the community school model is available at lagunitas.org.