With only four days until the 2020 general election, voters need to ensure that they are educated on the propositions that are on the ballot this year, especially on the ones that will help our local schools, including Proposition 15. 

According to the California Official Voter Information Guide, if passed, Proposition 15 will increase the “funding sources for public schools, community colleges, and local government services by changing the tax assessment of commercial and industrial property.”

It is supported by organizations such as the California Teachers Association, the California Nurses Association, and the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of California, as well as political leaders such as Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Kamala Harris, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

The measure would not affect commercial and industrial properties with a combined value of $3 million or less.

Proposition 15 would help close the loopholes in property taxes that benefit the wealthy top ten percent of corporations in California by making commercial and industrial property tax assessments based on the property’s current market value, not by the purchase price of the property. 

The increased property taxes on commercial and industrial properties in California would provide between $6.5 billion to $11.5 billion in new funding to schools and local governments. With so much new funding for schools and the local governments, students throughout California could receive a much better education with increased supplies and funding for more educational opportunities and programs.

Throughout California, there are many schools that are not able to provide adequate funding to various programs because of continued budget cuts year after year. With more funding, schools could ensure that students were able to learn more efficiently and be more prepared for their futures.

One popular argument against Proposition 15 is that the majority of the funding will not arrive until 2025. However, by voting yes on Prop 15, voters are taking a step in the right direction to provide more funding for schools that need the most help, especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The extra funding will allow schools access to more resources to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, while also helping to lower the large class sizes throughout the state, which has the largest class sizes in the United States. Teachers will be able to better focus on their students if class sizes become smaller.

Proposition 15 will be an investment in our future, which will be in the hands of those who are being taught in our schools. We need to invest more into their futures now by voting yes on Proposition 15.