Big Bear, CA, March 22, 2012, 3:00pm – Tonight will be the second of two community meetings hosted by the Bear Valley Unified School District to help inform, educate and receive feedback from the public regarding an upcoming Parcel Tax. A Parcel Tax would provide locally controlled funding for our schools that could not be taken away by the State or be sent to another school district. Already $3.3 million dollars have been cut from the school budget over the past two years and cuts to education are expected to continue. These additional cuts will further diminish the quality of education the District can provide for our students. The meetings are conducted by Kurt Madden, Superintendent of BVUSD and Walter Con, Director of Business Services for the District. Approximately 100 community members with many showing support for a parcel tax attended the first meeting on March 13th although few spoke out in opposition given the economy and, as one member noted, the view of being doubly taxed for educating our students since we already pay taxes for that purpose. And, the big question at this time is how much? District consultants are suggesting a dollar range between $45 to $60 per parcel with exemptions available for senior citizens. The District is planning on placing the local Parcel Tax measure in the form of a mail in ballot to be implemented early this summer for registered voters in the Big Bear Valley. Tonight’s community meeting will begin at 6pm at Baldwin Lane Elementary School in Sugarloaf. BVUSD welcomes the public’s comments and feedback as they explore all options. If you are unable to attend tonight’s meeting, you can also share your views by contacting Superintendent Kurt Madden at kurt_madden@bearvalleyusd.org or call 866-4631.
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