Frequently Asked Questions

Comparative data on school district finances is available on the Ed-Data website.

How much of my tax dollar goes to Los Altos School District?

Your property tax dollar goes to pay for a number of services — city government, police and fire protection, roads and infrastructure upkeep, county government and services, libraries, parks, and, of course, schools. For the typical Los Altos resident 20 cents out of every tax dollar goes to the Los Altos School District.

Where does the state get the money it uses to fund our schools?

55% of the state budget (or $47 billion) goes to K-12 public schools. The state gets its money primarily from three major sources — sales tax revenues, income taxes, and bank and corporation taxes.

What is the Parcel Tax?
In 1989 district voters passed a ballot measure which allows the district to tax property owners a per parcel assessment to raise money for the schools. The original measure requested authorization for an assessment of $168 per parcel. That amount was increased in 1997 to $264 per parcel and increased again in 2002 to $597 per parcel.

For more information, visit the Parcel Tax information page. For more information about the senior exemption process, including what you will need to bring with your application, please click here.

What is the modernization plan for LASD?

Phase 1 modernization of all district schools was completed between 2000 and 2008.  We still need to replace portable buildings with permanent ones and to reconstruct libraries, multi-purpose buildings, and administration buildings on some of our campuses. This work is planned for Phase 2 of our program. Funding Phase 2 will require a second bond measure.

What are School Impact Fees and How Do I Pay Them?

The School Board passed a resolution to collect school impact fees on new residential and commercial construction within the boundaries of the school district.  The fees are used only for construction and reconstruction of school facilities.  Your city (or county, if you live in an unincorporated area) is required to withhold a building permit until the school district has certified that the fee has been paid.  For additional information about School Impact Fees, contact Sandra Bush by phone:  650-947-1164 or email: sbush@lasdschools.org.

The current fee is $3.44 per square foot of assessable space (residential) and $0.56 per square foot of assessable space (commercial).  As authorized by state law, the fee may change from time to time (usually every two years).