Prop 38: Supporting Our Schools Fully

Jody Reichel

For years California has been cutting the budget for public education, but this year there’s a ballot measure that can turn things around, one that that focuses solely on meeting the needs of our kids by providing new funding directly to every public school in California— Proposition 38.

Proposition 38 is the only statewide measure that will restore the programs we used to have in our schools, and it is the only measure endorsed by the California State PTA.

Proposition 38 will raise over $10 billion each year for 12 years, providing our students and our schools with long term benefits.

During the first 4 years after it’s enacted (beginning with the 2013-14 school year), 60% of the money raised by Proposition 38 will go to our k-12 public schools, 10% will go to public preschool and early childhood programs so that more children will enter kindergarten prepared to succeed, and 30% of the money raised will be used to pay off existing state school bonds, thereby reducing our state budget shortfall.

Starting in the fifth year 85% of the funds raised by Prop. 38 will be allocated to k-12 public schools, and 15% will go to preschool programs. But even in those early years Proposition 38 will mean over $6,000,000 for our Culver City schools. By 2017-18, the initiative will be bringing our local schools over $11,000,000 a year.

Prop. 38 will not relieve our State government of its existing Prop. 98 responsibilities for funding public education. The legislature will be prohibited from diverting or borrowing Proposition 38 money and cannot use it to replace funds schools already receive. Money raised by Prop. 38 will be distributed directly to districts and school sites based on the number of students enrolled at each school. The initiative has very strong accountability provisions and limits the amount of money that can go for administration. But decisions on how to spend the money will be made locally, at the school site and district levels and with community input.

Proposition 38 raises money using a fair share approach, a sliding-scale tax. Those who can afford to pay more will, while 40% of Californians won’t see their tax bills go up at all. You can use the cost calculator at www.Prop38forLocalSchools.org to find out how Prop 38 will affect your taxes. You can also use the website’s benefits calculator to see how much your school or school district will benefit when Proposition 38 goes into effect.

When I was growing up, California’s public schools were among the best in the nation. Today California ranks 47^th in per pupil spending. We have the largest class sizes in the country— among the largest student to counselor ratios, too. In the last three years alone our state has cut over $20 billion from our public schools. Across the state 40,000 educators have been laid off.

Again and again our Culver City community has stepped up to the challenge of state budget cuts by passing Measure EE, supporting our Culver City Education Foundation, PTAs and booster clubs, and working with local businesses and organizations to give our kids the best education possible. We know that better schools mean lower crime rates and higher property values.  We know that great schools produce a high quality workforce. Let’s do it again.

Please take a stand for our kids. Join the California State PTA and me by voting for Proposition 38 this November.

For more information visit: www.Prop38forLocalSchools.org

Jody Reichel has been an active CCUSD parent for 13 years and is currently Executive Vice President of the Culver City Council of PTAs.