I have spent scores of hours over the past several months hearing opinions and speculation around Superintendent John Deasy’s proposed gift policy. I have found it difficult to articulate exactly why I support the concept of sharing private funds raised at individual sites among other schools in our district. With my own children in Malibu schools, which stand to be net losers, financially, should any version of this policy be implemented, it should have been easy to conclude that it is unfair to take our hard-earned dollars and to give them to other people’s children. But I can’t.
I also tried to convince myself that a voluntary policy would be preferable to a mandatory one, but I find that I ultimately can’t buy into that, either. While it is true that other districtwide fundraising strategies can, and should, be strengthened, and I truly believe that offers to help the schools in less-advantaged neighborhoods raise funds are genuine, from a practical standpoint, I fear that an optional policy, requiring voluntary donations and manpower, would be supported unevenly among the schools, resulting in an unequal sharing of the burden, and in increased resentment over the inequities that we are trying to reduce.
Over the years, the City of Santa Monica has been convinced to heavily support our unified school district, including Malibu schools, in spite of the obvious complications that such a policy may create with its own taxpayers. The Education Foundation has not punished Malibu for its relative lack of support, but funds its programs on a districtwide, per-capita basis and Santa Monica voters have carried education initiatives that benefit our schools at the polls. Malibu does not have the same commercial or municipal resources available (though we should always contribute from those entities to the best of our ability), but we should share the proceeds derived from our greatest asset, our base of economically advantaged, education-supporting parents and residents.
No one believes that a redistribution of a portion of these funds will solve the inequality of opportunities that society has created for children in our district. However, I am convinced that, with a funds-sharing approach, marketed in a positive way, we can improve and increase fundraising at and for all of our schools, and we should.
In the end, I just can’t escape the feeling in my gut that it’s the right thing to do.
Colleen O’Beirne Brydon
Past/present Webster, MHS, SAMOHI and PTA Council officeholder.