R-10463City Council-Meeting: March 23, 2010 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER 10463 (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA SUPPORTING THE SANTA MONICA-MALIBU
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PROPOSED QUALITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
PRESERVATION ACT
WHEREAS, the Santa. Monica City Council encourages measures to support
high quality educational programs for children in the community; and
WHEREAS, Santa Monica and Malibu students receive an exceptional education
in our local public schools that prepares them for life in the 21st Century and provides
the skills needed for college and today's careers; and
WHEREAS, quality public schools provide benefits and advantages to all
residents of our community by helping maintain property values, keeping students in
school, and helping our community remain a safe and desirable place to live; and
WHEREAS, over 70% of local school funding comes from the State of California;
and
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WHEREAS, the State's budget crisis has already reduced education funding by
an average reduction of $10 million each year over the last two fiscal years in State
funding to Santa Monica and Malibu schools with additional education funding shortfalls
from the State expected next year and for at least five more years; and
WHEREAS, the District projects that without additional sources of revenue, it will
be forced to lay off up to 75 of 580 District teachers, increase class sizes by up to 30%,
reduce the number of school instructional days, cut counselors and librarians, close
school libraries, reduce programs in reading, writing, science, art and music; and
WHEREAS, the District has and will continue to engage in a variety of efforts to
generate additional funds for its educational program, including advocating in the State
Legislature, creatively using surplus District real estate, local fundraising efforts and
continuing funding agreements with the cities of Santa Monica and Malibu; and
WHEREAS, despite these and other efforts to generate additional funds, a local
funding measure for SMMUSD schools is the only new revenue source that has the
potential to provide immediate budget relief on a scale adequate to prevent serious
harm to local public education; and
WHEREAS, these new revenues are critical to help protect the high quality of our
local schools and the strong academic programs that have resulted in rising test scores;
and
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WHEREAS, the Santa Monica-Malibu Board of Education ("Board") has voted to
place a local funding measure, equaling $198 per parcel per year, with a senior citizen
exemption, on a special May 25, 2010 all-mail election in order to offset a portion of the
State funding loss and provide a minimum amount of stable financial support
over the next five years, enabling the District to prevent a serious decline in the quality
of our schools; and
WHEREAS, despite the fact that this local funding measure will not alleviate the
need to make some budget cuts for 2010-2011, these revenues are critically necessary
to protect our community's excellent schools, prevent widespread layoffs of teachers
and other personnel, maintain reasonable class size, protect academic achievement in
math, .science, technology, arts, music, and reading programs, and sustain school
libraries; and
WHEREAS, the measure requires an independent annual audit and review by an
independent citizens' oversight committee with annual public reports to ensure all funds
are spent as promised; and
WHEREAS, by law, none of these local revenues can be taken away by the
State, none of these funds can be spent on administrator salaries, and every dollar must
be spent to support our local Santa Monica and Malibu schools.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
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SECTION 1. Santa Monica City Council supports the Santa Monica-Malibu
Unified School District Local School Funding Measure.
SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and
thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
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APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Adopted and approved this 23`d day of March, 2010.
~u~ ~~
Pam O'Connor, Mayor Pro Tem
1, Maria Stewart, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby certify
that the foregoing Resolution No. 10463 (CCS~ was duly adopted at a meeting of
the Santa Monica City Council held on the 23` day of March, 2010; by the
following vote:
Ayes: Council members: McKeown, Shriver, Davis, O'Day, .Bloom
Mayor Pro Tem O'Connor
Noes: Council members: None
Absent: Council members: Holbrook
ATTEST:
ti~
Maria M. Stewart, C ty Clerk