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# Office seekers sign the ‘CEPS’ schools pledge
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/office-seekers-sign-the-ceps-schools-pledge/
- Published: 2004-09-23T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T05:08:44.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Education, Montana, #archive-import

*By GENEVA WHITMARSH Daily Press Staff Writer*

MONTANA AVE. — Several City Council candidates pledged Monday to support a contract between City Hall and the school district that will secure at least $6 million a year for local education.

All but two council candidates attended a candidate forum at Franklin Elementary School organized by “Community for Excellent Public Schools,” also known as CEPS.

Only one candidate — Kathyrn Morea — hedged on the pledge, declining to sign the document. Morea is backed by the Chamber of Commerce, which supports city funding to local schools.

“I didn’t sign the pledge because I was concerned that if I signed it before I was on City Council and I had to hear from two sides on a school issue that I would be prejudiced,” Morea explained. “Not that I don’t support it. I admire what CEPS did. I just thought that I might have to recuse myself later on if something comes up.”

CEPS viewed the forum as an opportunity for the public to evaluate both school board and City Council candidates on the issue of education.

Earlier this year, CEPS brought forward a controversial charter amendment that would have forced City Hall to give the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District a minimum of $6 million every year. It would have required voter approval in November.

But in May — six months prior to the election — City Hall and the school district entered into an agreement that was along the lines of CEPS’ demands, a move that the organization’s members applauded. Shortly before the deadline for submit-ting signatures that would have qualified the measure for the election, the school board and the City Council reached a voluntary, negotiated agreement. The compromise agreement mirrored the CEPS measure in many ways, providing predictable, long-term funding to public education from City Hall with increases tied to the city’s revenue growth.

“The agreement was that the city would give $6 million each fiscal year to the district, with increases as available funds increase,” said Shari Davis, CEPS co-chair, who got involved in the organization in 1999.

But, Davis said, an official contract has yet to be created.

“The city is working on the wording, so we’re waiting to see the actual contract,” she said. “Everybody is fairly confident that it will be as it was presented in May.”

The terms of the agreement, which is not yet signed, requires City Hall to provide a minimum of $6 million in annual revenues to the school district for five years. After that, the current city administration has indicated that the contract should be renewed for another five years. The proposed charter amendment would have required City Hall to fund schools indefinitely.

Last year’s contribution to the school district from City Hall was $5.25 million — its regular $3 million annual contribution, plus $2.25 million in one-time funds. City Hall also dolled out one-time funds above and beyond its annual contribution in previous years, despite its own budget problems.

The school district faced a $13 million budget shortfall last year, but was able to close the gap through personnel cuts, and new revenue sources such as the parcel tax, which brings in $6.5 million annually over the next five years.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 23, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/092304.pdf?ref=smdp.com)