Monday, December 21, 2009

CEPS Wishes for Warm Happy Holidays -- Then Roll Up Our Sleeves to work to protect SMMUD’s Excellent Public Schools in the New Year



December 2009 brought some interesting juxtapositions in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.


The Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs, the ever-vigilant champions of and advocates for all students, held its annual Holiday Breakfast at Duke’s restaurant in Malibu bright and early Tuesday morning, December 9.  PTA’s breakfast is always a cozy gathering of leadership from within our schools and two cities.  The tone is one of congratulations for difficult jobs well done in challenging times, coupled with celebrations of remarkable work being done by and for the students in SMMUSD.


Just two days later, the Santa Monica Malibu Board of Education was presented with a staggering list of emergency budget cuts to consider, each of which would cause pain for our families, diminish the educational experience for our students, and make teachers jobs more difficult.  Collectively, these cuts, which include  lay-offs of as many as 114 teachers and staff, could dismantle the excellent public schools we rely on here in Santa Monica and Malibu.  Download three important 2010-2011 budget documents here


Education funding cuts caused by California’s devastating budget crises haven’t made as much noise here in Santa Monica Malibu, as they have in neighboring communities, many of which have already dismantled public education in their K-12 schools.  Of course, the most fundamental reason that our schools have not been hit quite as hard as neighboring districts, is the sizeable local financial support that our communities make.  Local parcel taxes, direct contributions from our cities, and individual contributions provide nearly a quarter of SMMUSD’s income.


However, another huge reason that we haven’t heard as much about State funding cuts in our local schools comes, in great part, from the wise fiscal management of SMMUSD district funds.  When Sacrament pulled the rug out from under K-12 education funding, SMMUSD had sizeable reserves, which have tided us over the worst of the cuts last year, even though the district made cuts in the 2009-2010 school year of more than $4.5 million.  However, because of the magnitude of cuts coming from Sacramento, SMMUSD reserves are coming to an end.


Last month’s State of Our Schools events provided the community of the first glimpse of the size of the problem facing our schools in the upcoming school year.  Check out the articles about that event in the Malibu Times and Santa Monica Daily Press.


And finally, the last week of school in December held a multitude of holiday celebrations and performances.  Students in every one of our schools across our district were able to shine, proudly displaying the hard work and accomplishment offered to them in the numerous, and acclaimed arts programs offered in our schools.  I found it difficult not to wonder, as I watched my son’s orchestra performance at Santa Monica High School’s Winter Concert, how long this nationally and internationally renowned program would be able to survive.  And should this program be one of those fortunate enough to continue, how many other programs would fall away in its wake?


Superintendent Tim Cuneo’s wishes for those attending the PTA Council breakfast were heartfelt and grateful.  However, he also told the education community to roll up their sleeves and get ready for a lot of hard work in the new year ahead.  It will require everyone working together in 2010, he said, to help preserve and protect the excellence of Santa Monica and Malibu schools – to help maintain opportunities for all students – and to get to the holiday season this time next year, with our schools still in tact.