Emeryville voters should reject Measure K, the extension of a school parcel tax until 2037. That's ridiculously long.
The tax, 15 cents per square foot, works out to $300 annually for a 2,000-square-foot building. It applies to residential and commercial properties. The revenues help make the Emery district one of the state's best-funded.
The tax dates back to 2009, when California school financing was bleaker. New state funding formulas are radically reshaping school revenues with uncertain outcomes. This is no time to lock in a 23-year tax.
The current tax expires in 2017. The district should wait until 2016, see how much money it needs then and, if necessary, go back to voters seeking an extension for a reasonable period of time.