The Malibu Times deserves applause for its editorial supporting Measure A, the local school funding measure to protect our Santa Monica-Malibu schools. PTA members throughout our District believe that Measure A is absolutely necessary to both protect the high quality education for local students and to ensure the fiscal integrity of our outstanding local public school system.
We have exceptional local schools in Santa Monica and Malibu. Our schools, however, are adversely affected by significant cuts in State funding to K-12 public education in recent years. More than 70 percent of the District’s funds come from the State. However, the State has cut an average of $10 million per year over the past two years from funds owed to our local schools. More revenue cuts are likely this year. As a result, we could lose up to 1 in 8 of our outstanding teachers, lose counselors and librarians, increase class sizes, and cut back instruction in core academics, which will compromise the quality of schools in our community.
Measure A will provide the District with about $5.8 million per year for five years. Measure A expenditures are subject to citizen oversight and independent annual audit. None of these funds can be used for administrator salaries. Most importantly, these locally generated funds cannot be taken away by the state.
PTA takes its role as an organization advocating for the health, education and welfare of every child very seriously, and thus has representation at virtually all Board of Education meetings. The budget process is very transparent in our District. This view is supported by the independent citizens oversight watchdog, SMMUSD’s Financial Oversight Committee, as well as by the independent national financial rating agencies including Standards & Poors, which has awarded the District one of the highest credit ratings of any school district in California.
The coalition supporting Measure A is broad and diverse, including parents and teachers, senior citizens and youth organizations, business and labor, along with hundreds of individual supporters.
We urge all voters to say ”yes” on Measure A.
Wendy Davis, PTA president, Juan Cabrillo Elementary
Kathie Ferbas and Holly Kinyon, PTA co-presidents, Webster Elementary
Robyn Ross, PTA president, Point Dume Marine Science Elementary
Wendy Sidley, PTSA president, Malibu High School