Measure ES is a November 2026 ballot measure that will ask the voters of Santa Monica to approve an annual tax of $495, adjusted annually for inflation, per parcel of taxable real property within the City of Santa Monica. All tax proceeds go to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s (SMMUSD) general fund. The revenue generated is intended to replace the annual funding provided by the City to SMMUSD under the Master Facilities Use Agreement (MFUA), which expires in June 2027.

Measure ES was proposed by a group of concerned citizens: the nonprofit Santa Monicans for Reliable School Funding (SMRSF). The citizens’ proposal process is prescribed in the California state constitution, which gives California citizens the power of direct democracy equal to that of the state legislature. After obtaining and verifying the signatures of 10% of Santa Monica’s residents, Measure ES was unanimously approved for placement on the November 2026 ballot by the Santa Monica City Council in June, 2026. As a citizen-led funding measure, Measure ES can pass with 50% plus 1 of rather than the two-thirds vote required for a government-proposed tax measure. (Text of the Measure).

The parcel tax amount of $495 was derived by calculating the amount needed to approximate the current contribution amount (and potential loss to SMMUSD) of about $12 million given by the City under the Master Facilities Use Agreement (MFUA), by the number of property parcels within the City. The tax amount recovers 92% of the potential lost revenue while keeping the cost to property owners less than $500 per parcel.

Homeowners will pay $495 per parcel (property) owned within the City of Santa Monica.

Given the amount of existing tax surcharges passed through to renters, many renters will pay nothing. Under Santa Monica's rent control rules, a property owner may charge an eligible renter a pro rata (proportionate) share of certain property taxes they pay. These surcharge pass-throughs are limited to five line-items on the owner's tax bill: voter-approved measures that include this parcel tax, community college bonds, unified schools bonds, the stormwater fee, and the clean beaches tax.Whether a renter pays anything depends on which group they're in:● Most renters (newer, market-rate tenancies): pay nothing. Surcharge pass-throughs are only allowed if the tenancy began before March 1, 2018, and the unit hasn't been sold or reassessed since. Most current renters don't meet that test, so this mechanism doesn't apply to them at all.● Renters in older, pre-2018 rent-controlled tenancies: pass-through surcharges capped at $35/month total. For this smaller group, the parcel tax is just one of the five line-items above, and all five combined are capped at $35/month, or 4% of the unit's Maximum Allowable Rent — whichever is less. The parcel tax doesn't add on top of that cap; it shares it with the other four taxes. (Source)

The measure specifically exempts these groups from the tax: Senior citizens (age 65 or older) who reside in the property as a primary residence; Non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status; An Affordable Housing Development Project, as defined in the measure, if certain requirements are met; Religious organizations or schools that are exempt from property taxes. Per the measure’s terms, the City will adopt and publish guidelines governing the application process for seeking one of these exemptions, including the deadline for filing an exemption application and the application form.

The language of Measure ES stipulates that money "may be used by the School District for any other educational purpose, including but not limited to":● Retention of high-quality teachers● Assistance to disadvantaged students● Art, music, science, and math education● Access to early childhood education programs● Maintenance of existing school facilities in a safe and clean condition● Community access after school hours to school facilities, including auditoriums,gymnasiums, playing fields and classroomsProhibited uses of Measure ES funds: "The School District may not use the funds from the Parcel Tax for administrator salaries, land acquisition, or capital improvements such as construction of new buildings."

Measure ES states that funds are “to be spent at the discretion of the School District'sBoard of Education in accordance with this Measure's purpose” and are subject to independent financial oversight. The oversight protections include the following provisions:● With every disbursement, the City must require the District to "verify in writing" it will use funds only for the listed purposes and not the prohibited ones.● Within 90 days, the District's Board of Education must establish (or charge the existing Financial Oversight Committee with) oversight of this money; if it doesn't by the following July 1, the City must establish its own oversight committee instead.● Starting the first operative year, the District must obtain an independentthird-party performance audit of annual expenditures, meeting establishedgovernmental audit standards.

Yes. The City will be required by law to give all revenue from the Measure to the Santa Monica-Malibu School District. The state or federal government cannot take away these funds, nor is the money contingent on future state or federal education funding. There will be third-party financial oversight to evaluate the School District’s annual expenditures of the Parcel Tax monies received by the district.

The revenue generated from the Measure will replace the approximately $12 million our schools receive though the Master Facilities Use Agreement (MFUA) with the City. The MFUA has provided consistent funding to SMMUSD for more than 20 years; however, the agreements have had limited terms and require renewal, which is discretionary and not predictable. Measure ES would provide consistent, locally controlled funding that allows SMMUSD to plan responsibly, retain teachers and staff, and protect essential educational programs over the long term.Yes, Measure ES can be repealed or amended by a subsequent voter approval.

Foremost, Measure ES is designed to support the students in our School District by providing a stable, reliable funding source that does not rely on the City. While doing this, the measure also helps relieve the City’s financial distress. Once Measure ES passes, advocates for children and youth can petition the city for more services that benefit children and youth, including our libraries being open all the time and more after school childcare slots and programming. The Measure’s benefits also extend further to our schools, the community and the city:For schools: ES replaces uncertain, term-to-term funding from MFUA with a dedicated, reliable source, letting the District plan ahead, retain teachers, protect class sizes, and preserve programs.For the community: Well-supported and highly rated public schools like ours strengthen our neighborhoods and the community. They help support property values; make Santa Monica more attractive to families, employers, and businesses; and produce better educational outcomes which are associated with lower crime rates, higher lifetime earnings, and stronger local economies.For the City: Measure ES eases the pressure off the City’s General Fund that can no longer continue prior levels of school support. It draws a clear line between school funding and general municipal budgeting, freeing the City to focus its limited resources on core services like public safety and infrastructure.

Yes. Measure ES is replacement financial support for the entire school district, including students in both Malibu and Santa Monica. At present, SMMUSD is a unified school district, with about 90% of its students attending Santa Monica schools and about 10% attending Malibu schools. The Master Facilities Use Agreement with the City of Santa Monica has always supported the whole district, not just one city's schools. If SMMUSD loses the $12 million in annual City funding the MFUA currently provides, the impact won't stop at a city line: both Santa Monica and Malibu students would see fewer teachers, smaller programs, and reduced services. Additionally, the Measure stipulates that should a new Malibu school district be created, that district “is not entitled to any portion of these funds,” and the City of Santa Monica is “authorized and directed… to direct the funds to the successor” school district in Santa Monica.

Measure ES is a new and independent funding mechanism. Unlike Measures R, Y/GSH, and GS, Measure ES is replacement money for funding that SMMUSD already receives, not additional funding. Measure ES revenues are 100% directed to SMMUSD Unrestricted General Fund, for the purposes outlined in the measure.