Years ago when my husband and I first considered moving to Culver City, the reputation of its public schools was one of the main attractions.
This fall begins our children's 10th year in Culver City schools, and we haven't been disappointed.
Our children haven't just learned the basics they needed to perform well on standardized tests.
They've become bilingual, dissected a sheep's heart, played in a string quartet, edited a newspaper, created a model federal government, learned to plan and hold events, and so much more.
They've had teachers who challenged and nurtured them.
But state budget cuts are threatening our schools' educational programs and class sizes. Almost all of the money the Culver City Unified School District has comes from the state of California, and the state has decreased the amount of money it has given us almost every year since my kids started school.
In the last two years alone, the state has cut $6 million from Culver City public schools.
That is more than 12% percent of the School District’s budget! They are threatening to cut millions more.
We need to find a new source of reliable funding for our schools. That's why we need a parcel tax to protect our programs and class sizes from state budget cuts.
Measure EE contains a parcel tax for our schools of $96 per year, just 26 cents a day.
But all of the money will stay right here in Culver City, and it will make a big difference in our ability to maintain quality public schools.
Don't let the schools we've built in Culver City decline. This November, vote for Educational Excellence. Vote Yes on Measure EE.
Ms. Reichel may be contacted at JKR5@sbcglobal.net
