Alameda has a long tradition of funding its schools through voter-approved parcel tax measures. These sources of funding account for approximately 20% of the current AUSD budget. This allows AUSD to attract and retain quality educators as the cost of housing and living continues to rise in our community. It also helps the District provide educational technology, support career technical education, and sustain strong programs in science, technology, engineering, arts and math, preparing high school students to compete at the top colleges and in the 21st-century workforce. Without these sources of funding, the District could be forced to consider cuts and layoffs up to $24 million annually. The State has proven to be an unreliable funding partner. To fill this gap, Alameda schools rely on local funding like many other neighboring school districts in the Bay Area.