Board member speaks out against the policy, the first to do so. Others suggest making policy voluntary.
By Jonathan Friedman/Staff Writer
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education member Shane McLoud said Superintendent John Deasy’s gift policy proposal should be rejected. He made the comment at last week’s meeting in Malibu, becoming the first board member to publicly oppose the policy. Other board members said they would be more in favor of a voluntary policy, rather than the requirement that 15 percent of all donations go toward a district equity fund, which would be redistributed throughout the district on a weighted scale.
McLoud, who teaches elementary school in South Central Los Angeles, said Deasy’s proposal was not the proper way to bring equity to the district. He made reference to a public speaker who said that 15 percent was not too much to ask for, but McLoud pointed out that with the policy the district would not be asking parents to contribute, but rather telling them to do it. The large contingent of people against the policy applauded after hearing McLoud’s comments.
A large number of Malibu parents have been vocally opposed to Deasy’s proposal, making their opinions heard at various PTA meetings that the superintendent attended to explain his plan. With the policy, 15 percent of donations to any school would be required to go into the equity fund, which would then be distributed to district schools based on a formula that takes socio-economic standing, student populations and education abilities into consideration. Malibu parents said they would be at the losing end of this formula.
“It is so destructive to say you will help students, but only by taking away from other students,” parent Cindy Vandor said.
Former Planning Commissioner Deirdre Roney, who has been an education activist for many years, said the plan was flawed because it did nothing to generate money, just redistributed it. She said a better thing to do would be to look at how to teach the Santa Monica schools how to do better fundraising. She rejected the idea that there were no sources of income for the schools simply because the parents are of low-economic standing.
“Santa Monica has huge local businesses, alumni and community organizations with which it can forge relationships,” she said. “Malibu does not. Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade alone generates more money than the entire Malibu city budget.”
Board member Maria Leon-Vazquez said the district should look at how it can put aside money for hiring a professional fundraiser. Several parents who spoke at the meeting also suggested PTAs at the more affluent Malibu schools could work with parents from the less-fortunate Santa Monica schools to teach them fundraising methods. Kim Belvin, whose son graduated from Malibu High School but still remains involved, said that wouldn’t accomplish the goal of equity.
“Common sense tells you that even if we offer our services to teach other schools how to do better fundraising, the other communities still do not have access to the resources that Malibu has,” she said.
Leon-Vazquez said she would prefer the policy be made voluntary for a year. After that time, the district could look at how the plan worked, and then tinker with it to make it better. Board member Mike Jordan said he also favored a voluntary policy.
Jordan and Board member Julia Brownley said they did not favor one of the most controversial elements of the proposal, which mandates that when non-monetary gifts are donated, 15 percent of the value must be donated to the equity fund.
Board member Oscar de la Torre and Board Vice President Emily Bloomfield said that information should be made available on what exactly the biggest needs are in the district. De la Torre said it would be beneficial to educate people on what is going on in the district.
There is no set date yet for when the proposal will go before the board for a vote.