By Christine Barot John Muir Elementary School PTA president
The California state budget crisis is real in a very big way. California is now facing as much as a $35 billion deficit, which is an unprecedented amount for our state.
Recently, State Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell addressed state leaders and attempted to put the state budget crises in perspective. He explained that if California closed all the Universities of California, California State University campuses and all the prisons that would only amount to about one-third of the state deficit.
California school districts receive most of their operating budget from the state level. Therefore, given the state crisis, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is facing unprecedented cuts in state funding. That means serious cuts in education programs for our kids.
Here at John Muir Elementary School, that means: • Increasing class size in grade 3 from 20 to 30. • The elimination of our instrumental music program. • Losing our school nurse. • Losing our library coordinator. • Losing our P.E. coach. Our district continues to seek out grants to continue current operations but the truth is our local district's budget is looking at $13 million less in funds. School districts are restricted by law on how they can raise revenue. They may apply and receive grants and donations or enact a parcel tax by a vote of the people.
With Measure S on the June 3 ballot, we have an opportunity to help support our children and our schools. We can elect to spend our money locally by ensuring its passage.
Measure S is a temporary local funding measure to help get our schools through this crisis. It would raise approximately $6.2 million annually for six years, making up for about half of the state cuts. It will cost property taxpayers $225 a year — which is less than $19 a month — and requires strict taxpayer accountability provisions to ensure that the dollars are spent properly.
You can help by asking your friends to support our local phone banking or walking precincts so that people know this is a partial local answer to a statewide problem. Measure S requires a two-thirds vote to pass. Everyone counts, so please help us help them…our children are counting on us!
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 28, 2003. Read the original PDF.