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- What is the significance for the community of adequate funding for school district early childhood education and after school programs.
The significance for the community is a good and proper education of our children, Our Children are our future and that it is important that activities related to education receive adequate funding and resources to accomplish their goals.
- Priority attached to ensure adequate funding for schools, after-school programs and early childhood education in the city budget.
Insuring proper funding of schools and its program and activities must take the highest priority. It is the responsibility of the school district and the elected school board of directors to see that funding objectives are met. Those objectives are to secure funding through the State and normal tax –based sources. They should include grants and fellowships from numerous sources as well as any and all potential revenue streams. Finally, the City itself, although maybe not legally obligated, is morally obligated to support the schools. I would place support for the school district after adequate public safety and infrastructure (roads ,streets, sewage, trash, municipal services, etc) in regards to the City budget.
Additional problems for schools result in funding shortfalls and these must be corrected. For example, current housing policies bring hundreds of low-income families into the community with many new children to school. This causes overcrowding. School admittance policies including permit students contribute to financial drains, too. Unfortunately, many well-meaning City and District policies have contributed to the ongoing financial crisis our school face. These policies contribute to the need to cover their costs and we spiral up another notch and face finding even more funding for schools -- all because there is no cohesive planning to begin with.
- Familiar with the agreement for the City to provide funding to the School District?
Yes. From press reports.
- Fully support providing the maximum level of funding under the agreement? Under what circumstances?
Yes, If there were adequate resources within the City treasury to provide the funding and if the school District could prove the real need and accountability.
- If there were a budget crisis beyond the District’s control, support for crisis funding?
Absolutely.
- How have I supported the District and youth education? How have I shown leadership in ensure adequate funding for schools? What council leadership would I show to address school funding?
I have, as a Police Department volunteer, worked numerous schools and PTAs at various carnivals and fundraisers over the years and at safe-driving, anti-drinking/drug campaigns and safe Prom/Grad night programs directed primarily to Samohi students.
As a political opinion writer for the oceanparkgazette.org website and for the last two years, the Santa Monica Daily Press, I have been a strong advocate for school support and funding. I have been consistent in my support for City funding for education from existing City resources rather than parcel taxes which put unnecessary burdens on the poorest and those most in need in our community.
I’ve been critical of a City Council that eagerly appropriated $7.4-million for a homeless shelter earlier this year, another million for ”expenses” and another estimated $2.5- to $3-million for a new “drop-in center” building near the City bus yards. That’s $12-million spent willingly for transient and vagrant services while they grudgingly approved $6-million in annual support as defined in the City/School District agreement.
And, that’s after they ignored pleas for help from 1000 parents and supporters and had to be backed to the wall by an initiative that would have put the school funding issue on the ballot. No citizenry should have had to go to the trouble that your group did to get its government to do its basic duty to its constituency.
Lastly, As a City Councilman I would not put vagrants ahead of our children and homeless shelters ahead of our schools. We are a wealthy City but there is a limit to revenue available. Our Children must have priority over social programs, “Green” expenditures, political payoffs, and politically correct agendas including “living wages” that increase paychecks for City-contracted workers in Downy, Tustin and Long Beach while eating-up resources that should go for programs and facilities to benefit us and our children. I will not squander resources on Utopian ideals and pie in the sky vanity projects. Then, we will be more able and better equipped to assist our schools with their financial needs.
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