2026 Election

Citizens' Initiative Parcel Tax qualified for 2026 ballot

Los Angeles County verified that the initiative received enough signatures to be presented to Culver City voters in November, the group behind the measure announced Wednesday.

A box full of signatures for the citizens initiative Parcel Tax, officially named the Culver City Public Schools Excellence in Education Act of 2026, was verified by Culver City staff at City Hall on Thursday, June 4, before being sent to Los Angeles County. The County verified that enough signatures were submitted to qualify the measure for the November 3, 2026 General Election || Photo by Christian May-Suzuki

Los Angeles County has accepted the citizens’ initiative parcel tax measure in Culver City, confirming it received the required number of signatures to qualify for the November ballot. Excellence for Culver City Schools — the parent-led group responsible for the measure — announced Wednesday that the county verified the over 4,200 signatures collected from Culver City voters that were submitted last month had enough valid entries to fulfill the 2,912 minimum requirement needed to qualify for the November 3, 2026 election.

A sliding-scale parcel tax set at $0.48 per square foot of improvements on a parcel, which is anticipated to raise $18 million annually for the Culver City Unified School District, would be implemented in Culver City for 10 years should this measure pass. There would be a cap of $15,000 for Culver City’s largest property owners and exemptions for persons 65 years of age or older or those who receive Supplemental Security Income for a disability or Social Security disability benefits.

While it needed support from just 10% of Culver City's registered voters to qualify for the ballot, the standard to pass is far steeper. However, the simple majority required to pass a citizens' initiative is far more forgiving than the requirements for a similar measure proposed by the District, which would require approval from at least 66% of voters.

The successful effort marks the first time an entirely volunteer-based campaign qualified a local initiative in Culver City. While it currently does not have a traditional shorthand name until the city officially requests the election from the county on July 13, the full title presented to signers is the “Culver City Public Schools Excellence in Education Act of 2026.”

Currently, Culver City has a flat tax of $189 per parcel, which is one of the only sources of revenue in the District dedicated to paying teacher salaries and benefits. This measure also reserves the funds raised from this tax for “teacher salaries, counseling and student support services, extra-curricular programs, and other instructional support” and will not be used for contractual services or administrative costs.

“An oversight committee composed of Culver City residents, including District parents, District staff members, a City representative, and at-large community members, will oversee and advise on the use of the tax money,” the initiative states. “The District will report on its use of tax money.”

The need for a new parcel tax is pressing from both financial and contractual perspectives. As part of the $2.5 million contribution made to the District last August, the city imposed a condition that a parcel tax measure intended to stabilize the budget in the coming years must appear on the 2026 ballot. Then-City Manager John Nachbar expressed concerns that the city’s contribution, intended as a one-time emergency measure in a dire situation, would become an ongoing commitment out of necessity.

Proponents of the tax argue that, beyond the impetus provided by the city, more local contribution is needed to support a growing school district that many parents moved to Culver City for. California spreads its education funding much thinner than other states, even with the proper allocation of Proposition 98 funds.

“California spends roughly $18,000 per K-12 student - comparable to Delaware but far below New York’s $33,400 per student,” the measure argument presented with the initiative petition states. “Furthermore, both California and the federal government have recently significantly reduced the funding they send to our district, leaving it with a deficit of $4-5 million.”

The estimated $18 million this measure is expected to generate, should it pass, would be more than enough to cover the gaps in the CCUSD budget, which have forced difficult personnel decisions in the District over the past several years. The cuts to 24 positions this year were made to help address a budget deficit that is less than 33% of the amount expected to be raised annually by this parcel tax.