School officials prepare for parcel tax campaign
Situation bad even if parcel tax passes, superintendent says There’s no good news when it comes to the Santa Monica school district’s finances, said Superintendent John Deasy.
“If all of this comes to pass, we will have written off a generation of kids,” Deasy said in an interview earlier this week. “I find this unconscionable.”
Because state funding is drying up, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has been forced to slash more than 200 positions, along with a host of programs and services.
Schools across the state are shouldering a portion of California’s $34 billion budget deficit.
The 12,700-student SMMUSD is short of its usual $65 million budget by at least $13 million next year. Wrongful-death claim against Lee rejected And it’s only expected to get worse. Officials estimate the state’s deficit will balloon to $40 billion this summer.
Even if a proposed parcel tax is approved by voters in June, it will be about five years before local schools can again provide the same level of service now being offered, Deasy said.
And any plans to make improvements to the district’s curriculum have been shoved aside by administrators struggling to slow the bleeding, he said.
“Anybody that can do the math realizes really quickly there’s a chunk of these cuts that is not going to be reinstated,” Deasy said.
“Anybody that can do the math realizes really quickly there’s a chunk of these cuts that is not going to be reinstated.” — – JOHN DEASY Superintendent
Deasy, who left a superintendent position in Rhode Island two years ago to take the helm at SMMUSD, said he is hoping for a regime change in Sacramento.
He lambasted the state for spending more on its prisons than its schools. And he said California ranks dead last in public school spending and in staff-to-student ratios.
But not everything is bad in the Golden State, he said.
Deasy said parents in Santa Monica are more involved than those in Rhode Island. He called it a “different culture” and said he’s been surprised and gratified by the level of commitment district parents have shown.
Only 11 percent of local parents send their kids to non-public schools. The national average is close to 20 percent, he said.
Inese Verzemnieks, a Samohi mother and Parent Teacher Student Association leader, said parents have donated more than $100,000 directly to Samohi this year.
Last year, that figure was closer to $60,000. The year before that it was only about $40,000, she said.
“It’s terrible that we have to pick up these pieces,” Verzemnieks said. “But if we don’t pay for it now, we’re going to pay for it later.”
Students and parents have held talent nights, silent auctions, raffles, car washes and gift wrapping events to raise money.
Individual group events — such as the school choir’s trip to Boston later this month — have found their own funding, Verzemnieks said.
“You can’t deny a child because they can’t afford it,” she said. “We want these wonderful experiences for our kids, so we’re really willing to bust our chops.”
Deasy said that ultimately all the money raised will go toward making up for lost programs and positions and therefore not be used to advance the district’s offerings.
Still, the district is spearheading a couple of efforts to recoup important positions lost because of the budget constraints.
Most importantly, officials say, is a proposed a parcel tax, which will go before voters June 3.
The flat $225 tax, which would be levied on all properties in Santa Monica and Malibu, would generate about $6.5 million annually for the next six years.
Campaigning for the parcel tax will kick into high gear on Monday, Deasy said, as an on-going registration drive is complemented with mailers, phone banking and other efforts.
“It’s actually really black and white,” Deasy said of Measure S. “The community either wants to return the things that were listed or we don’t.”
Officials are also asking the cities of Santa Monica and Malibu to increase the amount of money they give to the district. Last year, Santa Monica ramped up its usual $3 million contribution to $4.5 million to help the cash-strapped district.
But with the city struggling to close its own deficit, officials are skeptical that any more money will go toward schools.
“Philosophically, everybody wants to help the kids and the schools,” said Councilman Herb Katz. “But we’re sitting in a financial difficulty.”
Assistant Superintendent Ken Bailey said the district is only counting on $3 million from Santa Monica and $15,000 from Malibu for the 2003-2004 school year. Cheri Orgel, president of the local PTA, said school supporters are focused primarily on the parcel tax.
In the end, Deasy said the future of the schools in Santa Monica is in the state’s hands.
“It’s amazing how impactful this will be to public schools and how little control we have over it,” Deasy said.
Despite the economic woes, Deasy said SMMUSD has a lot to be proud of. During his two years at the helm, test scores have risen and the quality of instruction is way up, he said.
Average daily attendance is a whopping 96 percent.
Deasy said the district’s innovative approach to a possible budget recovery has earned the praise of state legislators. The district has organized cut positions into “bundles” that will be reinstated as funds become available.
Union leaders have pitched in to carry the district through this difficult economic time, Deasy said.
“I think that’s the thing I’m most proud of,” he said. “We’re doing a really good job of solving this collectively and collaboratively.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 18, 2003. Read the original PDF.