May 14, 2026

The five other Marin school measures on this ballot — and why H is the most consequential

You’ll see six school measures on the June 2, 2026 Marin County ballot if you’re voting in any of the affected districts. As an RVSD voter — Fairfax, San Anselmo, Sleepy Hollow, or Woodacre — you’ll only vote on Measure H. But the other five tell you something about the broader Marin school-funding picture, and they put Measure H’s stakes in context.

Here’s a quick neighborly tour of all six.

Measure C — Kentfield SD (parcel tax renewal + increase)

What it does: Renews Kentfield’s existing parcel tax (currently $1,842, having grown via 3% escalators from a $1,498 base set by Measure A 2018) with a $148 increase for a new rate of $1,990 per parcel for 10 years, with a 3% escalator.^[1]

Revenue: ~$5.9M annually Threshold: Two-thirds (66.67%) Voters: Kentfield-area residents only

Context: Kentfield is a basic-aid district with $24,158 per pupil in total revenue (2021-22 NCES) — well above RVSD’s $18,199.^[2] The current Measure A funds Bacich Elementary and Kent Middle and is set to expire in 2028. The fiscal urgency is lower than RVSD’s, but the renewal mechanics are similar. CST has executed the “monetize the district office” prescription for Kentfield — selling the district office to fund operations — that it’s recommended RVSD follow.

Measure D — Larkspur-Corte Madera SD (facilities bond)

What it does: $44 million Proposition 39 general obligation bond at approximately $24 per $100,000 of assessed value, funding emergency systems, roof and HVAC repairs, STEAM classroom upgrades, and positioning the district for ~$7.9M in state matching funds.^[3]

Revenue: ~$3.4M annually Threshold: 55% (Prop 39 bonds need only a simple supermajority) Voters: LCM-area residents only

Context: Importantly, Measure D extends rather than increases current bond tax rates because it doesn’t kick in until 2030, when LCMSD’s existing 2000 Measure A bond is paid off. Bonds are different from parcel taxes: they’re paid through ad valorem assessments (taxes on property value) rather than flat per-parcel charges, and they fund capital projects, not operations. The Marin IJ editorial board took no position on Measure D.

Measure E — Mill Valley SD (parcel tax renewal + supplemental restoration)

What it does: Renews the current $1,520 per-parcel tax (which doesn’t expire until June 2029) and restores a $234 supplemental tax that lapsed in 2021, for a combined $1,754 per parcel with a 5% annual escalator for 8 years.^[4]

Revenue: ~$14.9M annually Threshold: Two-thirds (66.67%) Voters: Mill Valley-area residents only

Context: Per Dick Spotswood’s analysis in the Marin IJ, the 5% escalator means the rate would reach roughly $2,468 per parcel by the final year of the measure. CST opposes Measure E on the escalator (CST notes most other Marin districts use 3%), but Willard told the Marin IJ that “Mill Valley School District is a good district that is providing a good education and seems to be well run.”^[5] Unlike RVSD, MVSD is a basic-aid district with $22,864 per pupil in total revenue.^[2] Mill Valley enrollment is also unusual: it’s increasing 8% next year (about 125 additional students), each new elementary classroom costs roughly $280,000 under state staffing-ratio mandates, and LCFF doesn’t reward enrollment growth in basic-aid districts.

Measure G — Novato Unified SD (supplemental parcel tax)

What it does: A supplemental $249 per-parcel tax (no annual escalator) for 8 years, layered on top of NUSD’s existing $251 Measure A (renewed 2023, in effect through 2031). Combined annual parcel-tax burden in NUSD would be $500 per parcel if Measure G passes.^[6]

Revenue: ~$4M annually Threshold: Two-thirds (66.67%) Voters: Novato-area residents only

Context: Novato is the only LCFF district in Marin essentially tied with RVSD at the floor of total per-pupil revenue ($18,144 vs RVSD’s $18,199 in 2021-22 NCES).^[2] NUSD trustees approved dozens of preliminary staff layoffs in 2026 to offset a projected $9.5M deficit for 2026-27. Two of the three lowest-funded districts in Marin are simultaneously asking voters for parcel-tax increases on the same ballot — that’s not a coincidence; it’s what LCFF underfunding looks like.

Measure I — Sausalito Marin City SD (facilities bond)

What it does: $12.5 million GO bond at $8 per $100,000 of assessed value for 30 years, dedicated chiefly to the Phillips Field renovation (140,000 sq ft athletic field) plus ADA upgrades, restrooms, parking, a 400-meter track, and underground stormwater retention.^[7]

Revenue: ~$860,000 annually Threshold: 55% (Prop 39 bond) Voters: Sausalito Marin City-area residents only

Context: SMCSD is the small but high-revenue district at the top of the Marin per-pupil table ($35,744 per pupil in 2021-22) — the federal-funding share is unusually high (15%) reflecting the district’s demographics. The Marin IJ editorial board endorsed Measure I; no formal opposition was filed for the voter handbook.

Measure H — Ross Valley SD (parcel tax renewal + increase)

What it does: Renews the current $742 RVSD parcel tax and adds $540 for a new rate of $1,282 per parcel for 10 years, with a 3% annual escalator.^[8]

Revenue: ~$8.6M annually (~16% of RVSD’s general-fund budget) Threshold: Two-thirds (66.67%) Voters: Fairfax, San Anselmo, Sleepy Hollow, Woodacre

Why Measure H is structurally different from the other five

Every measure on this list matters to the district that’s voting on it. But Measure H is structurally different from the other five in three specific ways:

1. It’s the only measure with a documented contingency plan triggering closures and receivership. RVSD’s three-tier MCOE-required contingency plan documents what happens if Measure H fails: $4.3M in cuts over three years, closure of two of four elementary schools, “likely” state receivership by August 2028.^[9] No other district on the June ballot has filed an equivalent plan. Mill Valley’s measure renews an existing tax (which doesn’t expire until 2029); Kentfield’s renews a tax (expiring 2028) without the same fiscal squeeze; Novato’s adds to an existing tax; the bonds fund capital improvements without the operational stakes.

2. The vote landscape is different. Mill Valley’s MVSD is structurally well-funded (basic-aid, $22,864 per pupil). Kentfield is structurally well-funded ($24,158 per pupil). RVSD oscillates between LCFF and basic-aid status at the floor of either, with no structural cushion. The Marin districts whose parcel taxes are most strategically necessary are RVSD and Novato — the two LCFF districts at the bottom of the per-pupil revenue table — and only RVSD has the receivership timeline.

3. RVSD has the smallest runway. Mill Valley’s existing measure runs through June 2029. Kentfield’s existing measure runs through 2028 but the budget cushion is larger. RVSD’s existing parcel tax expires June 30, 2028, with only two ballot windows (June 2 and November 3, 2026) before then.^[10] No other district on the ballot has the same compressed calendar.

Our read

If you’re an RVSD voter, you only see Measure H on your ballot — but it’s helpful to understand that it sits in a context of broader Marin school-funding stress. All six measures exist because California’s LCFF/Prop 13 architecture leaves Marin districts dependent on local parcel taxes to keep operations whole.

What separates Measure H from the rest is the documented receivership timeline and the absence of a multi-cycle recovery path. Mill Valley, Kentfield, and the bond measures will keep operating no matter how their measures fare; the worst case for those districts is “modest cuts.” The worst case for RVSD is closures and state takeover.

That’s why we recommend a Yes vote on Measure H.

Sources

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