CEPS Press Release -- Support for Santa Monica Malibu School Funding Measure

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –

COMMUNITY FOR EXCELLENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS (CEPS) ENDORSES MEASURE A
THE SANTA MONICA MALIBU SCHOOL FUNDING MEASURE

 

MARCH 22, 2010 - Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) endorses Measure A, the local school funding measure that will help close the shortfall caused by State budget cuts for Santa Monica-Malibu Schools.  “Our local schools are truly special, providing tremendous educational opportunities for all students,” states CEPS Chair Rebecca Kennerly, “It is a tragedy that California’s abdication of its responsibility to public schools jeopardizes our local schools and cities.”



CEPS recognizes that Measure A represents the best opportunity to provide stable local funding that can directly benefit students and go directly into classrooms.  All funds will stay in Santa Monica Malibu schools and can’t be taken by Sacramento.  Measure A is a local school ballot measure on a special May 25th all-mail election.  The measure must be passed by a 2/3rds majority; an extremely high threshold. Santa Monica and Malibu voters have repeatedly affirmed their strong support to protect local public schools by supporting past school funding measures.



On Thursday, March 4th, the Santa Monica Malibu Board of Education responded to State funding cuts by reducing 75 of the district’s 580 teachers.  “Our community values public education too much to allow the State’s fiscal crisis to dismantle the high quality of education in our local schools,” continues Kennerly.  If passed, Measure A will minimize teacher lay-offs, keep class sizes as small as possible, protect music and arts programs, retain school nurses and counselors, and keep school libraries open.



For more information about CEPS, please log on to www.excellentpublicschools.org, or follow the CEPS blog, http://excellentpublicschools.blogspot.com.


Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) is dedicated to the preservation and betterment of public schools in the Santa Monica -Malibu Unified School District. In order to achieve this goal, we resolve:

1. To promote a shared community vision for excellence in our public schools that includes early childhood and post-secondary education;
2. To evaluate and pursue a range of short and long term funding measures through state, city and school district policies and elections;
3. To identify and support issues that will support education and public schools, including early childhood education, after-school programs, and post-secondary public education;
4. To increase public awareness of the value and uniqueness of our public schools;
5. To promote accountability for high quality public education by public institutions and public officials.