San Anselmo & Fairfax Measure H

What is RVSD?

The Ross Valley School District (RVSD) is the public K-8 school district covering Fairfax, San Anselmo, Sleepy Hollow, and part of Woodacre. It serves about 1,700 students across five neighborhood schools. More about the five schools →

What is Measure H?

RVSD has had a local parcel tax since 1987. The current rate is $742 per parcel per year and it expires on June 30, 2028. Measure H asks voters to renew that tax and increase it by $540, for a new rate of $1,282 per parcel per year for ten years, with a 3% annual cost-of-living adjustment.^[1].

Why we support Yes

1. The ask is modest compared to neighboring districts

Even at $1,282, the new RVSD parcel tax would still be the lowest among comparable Marin K-8 districts. Today, RVSD homeowners pay roughly 40% of what Kentfield homeowners pay and about half of what Mill Valley pays for the same kind of neighborhood school district.^[3]

And those are basic-aid districts that already collect more local property tax per student than RVSD does. They tax themselves more on top of more revenue. RVSD is being asked to tax itself less on top of less.

2. Our schools are funded near the bottom of the state

On the state's per-pupil funding metric (LCFF base grant), RVSD ranks 959th of 995 California school districts — the bottom 4%.^[4] The structural reason is that RVSD oscillates year-to-year between LCFF (state-aid) and basic-aid (community-funded) status, so it captures neither full local-property-tax growth nor the state's full formula floor.^[5] RVSD students still outperform county and state averages across every subject. The parcel tax is what makes that possible on a bottom-4% state allocation.

3. The cost of "no" is documented

The Marin County Office of Education has already required RVSD to file a written, three-tier contingency plan if no new parcel tax revenue is approved.^[6] The plan escalates from $170K in modest stipend cuts in 2026-27 to $1.04M in 2027-28 (elementary PE, electives, special-ed and ELD coordinators) to $3.1M in 2028-29 — at which point it calls for closing two of four elementary schools, half-day transitional kindergarten and kindergarten, and "likely" state receivership by August 2028. (See the full tier table on the Yes page, plus our post on what a No actually triggers and our receivership explainer.)

4. The increase is the first real raise since 2012

The current $742 figure is mostly the same parcel tax voters approved over a decade ago, adjusted for inflation.^[1] The $540 increase is the first structural increase in 14 years. Our teachers received no raise this year because the district couldn't afford one,^[7] and RVSD pay sits at the bottom of Marin districts. Trustee Anna Marsh actually dissented from Measure H because she preferred a larger, $600 increase to "better meet the district's urgent need to restore fiscal health"; the board chose $540 as a compromise.^[8] See the full inflation and timeline breakdown →

5. The structure is fair and well-guarded

Measure H is a flat per-parcel tax.^[8] Funds cannot pay administrator salaries or pensions. An independent oversight committee reports annually. Seniors and residents on SSI/SSDI can opt out. And it sits on a regular statewide ballot — no special-election cost to taxpayers.

6. Schools benefit everyone, even if you don't have kids in them

Strong public schools support property values and community cohesion. Two of our five RVSD campuses are in Fairfax (Manor Elementary, White Hill Middle), two in San Anselmo (Brookside, Wade Thomas), and one in Sleepy Hollow (Hidden Valley). They're walkable from most of our neighborhoods. At roughly $45 per month for the increase, we see this as a reasonable trade-off to avoid a school closure.

7. Voters trust the school district

In December 2025 polling commissioned by RVSD, 73% of voters approved of how the district manages taxpayer dollars.^[9] Measure E in May 2025 received 62.5% Yes — a clear majority that fell short of the 66.67% supermajority California requires for parcel taxes.^[10] Measure H is structured to close that gap: a flat per-parcel rate rather than per-square-foot (implementing feedback from 2025), plain ballot language, and the regular June primary instead of an expensive special election.

Measure H is supported by a broad coalition: the League of Women Voters of Marin County, the Ross Valley Teachers Association, the YES Foundation, all five sitting RVSD trustees, Marin County Superintendent John Carroll, San Anselmo's mayor and a majority of the town council, and federal and state representatives whose districts include the Ross Valley.^[11] The Marin Independent Journal editorial board also recommends voting Yes on H.^[12]

Read our full case for Yes →

The counterargument

The Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers and other Measure H opponents argue:^[7]

• Marin voters face a cumulative tax burden in 2026 — Measure H lands alongside the SMART rail renewal (Measure B), Fairfax's Measure J for town services, and other local items.^[13] Even if each measure is defensible, approving them all adds up.
• They suggest a smaller increase ($149–$350) would be more likely to pass and ask the district to come back in November with operating economies and a more moderate proposal. Superintendent Tyler Graff's response to CST's $149 figure was that it "wouldn't resolve any of the district's budget issues."^[8]

Voting

Measure H is on the regular June 2, 2026 statewide primary ballot. Marin County mails ballots to every registered voter around May 4, 2026. Return your ballot by mail (postmarked by June 2) or drop it at any official drop-off location, or vote in person on election day.

For registration, drop-box locations, and accessible voting, see the official Marin County Elections Department site.