By Dr. Lisette Bauersachs Santa Monica
I spent over four hours at the school board meeting (Oct. 18) and no one can explain why $23 million of Santa Monica and Malibu taxes (Measure BB funds) are slated for a new school (Edison Language Academy) that will serve only a couple hundred Santa Monica residents, at most. Given an overall decline of school-age students in our district, would not those widely sought after Measure BB funds serve a better purpose by refurbishing other larger SMMUSD elementary schools? Simply move those few hundred students to other SMMUSD campuses and eliminate the need to hand out massive out-of-district permits to LAUSD as our student population continues its downhill spiral.
Let’s return to community schools and stop building “commuter” schools for Los Angeles residents.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 23, 2007. Read the original PDF.