MDUSD may turn to cities to help raise money

School districts, including the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, are starting to look to cities to help them raise money amid the state budget crisis, the Contra Costa Times reported.

Mt. Diablo district is facing $27 million in budget cuts, if Gov. Jerry Brown's "all cuts" budget makes it through the May revise of his state budget proposal. Voters in the district approved a $348 million Measure C facilities bond last year.

The Times reports that the district has been studying sales tax initiatives in Santa Monica and Richmond. The district wants to see if such an initiative would garner public support in areas where MDUSD students reside.

Richmond residents are voting  June 7 on whether to boost the city's sales tax rate from 9.75 percent to 10.25 percent. The Times says that this "increase would generate $5.5 million to $6 million annually, if approved." Half of this money would go to Richmond schools.

So far, though, none of the city leaders Superintendent Steve Lawrence has met with are ready to move forward with such a proposal.

Many cities that fall within the MDUSD--Walnut Creek, Clayton and Concord--provide services to the schools, such as police resource officers and crossing guards. Lawrence said the district would like to join with these cities on initiatives similar to one last year in Santa Monica and the one in Richmond, the Times reported.