Measure G Parcel Tax Information and Feedback Requested
Dear Novato Unified School District Community,
We want to express our deepest and most sincere gratitude to every single member of the Measure G parcel tax committee, as well as the volunteers, staff, parents, and community partners who poured their energy, time, and passion into this campaign. Your unwavering dedication to the students of Novato was evident in every dollar raised, flyer distributed, and conversation held.
While the measure narrowly missed the threshold required to pass, the tremendous effort put forth by this community did not go unnoticed. We are profoundly grateful for your commitment to our schools.
Our district trustees and leaders are interested in hearing from you regarding the Measure G campaign. Please provide feedback here.
Unfortunately, falling just short of this goal places our district in a very challenging financial position. To ensure we manage our resources responsibly and maintain fiscal solvency, the Board of Trustees has approved the 2026-2027 Proposed General Fund Budget alongside Resolution No. 30-2025/2026. This resolution outlines a structured, multi-year plan to stabilize our finances and bring our budget into alignment.
Moving forward, the district is immediately implementing the following key measures:
Ongoing Reductions: Implementing $6.5 million in ongoing cost reductions beginning in the 2027-2028 school year.
Hiring Pauses: Pausing all recruitment and hiring for vacant, non-essential staffing positions.
Program Evaluations: Conducting a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of all specialized programs to evaluate their long-term financial viability.
Conservative Budgeting: Utilizing a 95% Average Daily Attendance (ADA) rate and projecting a modest enrollment growth of 30 students per year to ensure the highest level of planning accuracy.
One-Time Savings: Identifying $1.5 million in immediate, one-time savings through vacancies and deferred expenditures.
Future Local Revenue: Actively researching the possibility and viability of increasing the District’s existing Parcel Tax to expand and secure ongoing local revenue.
These decisions are incredibly difficult, but they are necessary steps to protect the core mission of our district: delivering a high-quality education to our students.
We will continue to navigate these financial challenges with transparency, accountability, and a steadfast focus on our classrooms. Thank you again to the Measure G committee and the entire Novato community for standing by our schools, our staff, and most importantly, our children.
With deep gratitude,
Dr. Tracy Smith
Superintendent