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R-10011 RESOLUTION NUMBER 10011 (CCS) (CITY COUNCIL SERIES) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO SUPPORT UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL FOR ALL FOUR YEAR OLDS IN CALIFORNIA WHEREAS, research shows that children who have attended quality preschool show greater success in elementary school reading and math than their peers who do not; and WHEREAS, ensuring voluntary access to quality preschool for all four year olds whose parents choose to send them has proven to be one of the soundest educational and financial investments the public can make, providing demonstrated significant, long- term savings on the costs of special education, grade retention, welfare and crime; and WHEREAS, the goals of Preschool California to develop universal preschool in California meets the City Council priority support of education, including early childhood education; and WHEREAS, in order to ensure that a universal preschool system for all four year olds in California, is accessible to all children, including those with special needs, the program must be funded adequately to assure it does not take away funding from existing programs or necessitate the diversion of revenues due to local government; meet the established guiding principles such as adherence to established standards of quality, be linked to full-day, early care and education programs to meet the needs of 1 working families; and effectively integrate new resources in to the early care and education infrastructure. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Monica supports Universal Preschool for all four year olds in California, contingent upon securing new ongoing funding that does not jeopardize the State's fiscal health or divert funds from local government or other essential programs. SECTION 2. The Santa Monica City Council will work with a broad spectrum of community members and state policy makers to advocate new funding sources for voluntary access to quality preschool for all four year olds effectively integrating new resources in to the early care and education infrastructure assuring that the program is linked to full-day early care and education programs to meet the needs of working families through both public and private providers in a variety of settings, including schools, child care centers, Head Start programs and family child care homes. SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect. APRROVED AS TO FORM: 2 Adopted and approved this 11th day of January, 2005. I, Maria Stewart, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 10011 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of the Santa Monica City Council held on the 11 th day of January, 2005, by the following vote: Ayes: Council members: Mayor O'Connor, Mayor Pro Tern Katz, Bloom, Holbrook, McKeown, Shriver Noes: Council members: None Abstain: Council members: None Absent: Council members: Genser ATTEST: ~~ Maria M. Stewart, 3