First to Worst: Why Public Schools are no Longer Free

Wanted to post this for quite a while now. I got it from a handout that I found in the office of University High School (there was a stack of them).

"FIRST TO WORST: WHY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE NO LONGER FREE"

Reality:
- Our school district is in a crisis! We are faced with a $5M deficit!
- We need to move fast or we will lose valued teachers and programs.
- In California, a high quality public education is no longer free.

A Series of Legislation Has Destroyed Funding for Public Education in California!

1950's
California was rated #1 in education in the U.S. - #1!
- People were moving to California rapidly and the state was booming.
- Many school districts were state of the art and flush with public funding.

1960's
Riots broke out in Los Angeles
- Disparity in education was blamed. Wealthy neighborhoods had wealthy schools and poorer neighborhoods had little money and poor schools. At the time, each community funded its own schools through property taxes.

There was a movement to create parity in education.
- A law suit, Serrano v. Priest, resulted in limits placed on the amount of money a community could spend on education.
- Decisions on curriculum and education funding were centralized in Sacramento, taking it away from local school districts.
- Instead of raising education standards in the poorer areas, education funding was lowered in all districts to match funds available in poorer districts.
- The net effect was statewide mediocrity in education.

This was just the beginning of education problems in California.

1970's
Howard Jarvis helped pass Prop 13, which had devastating unintended effects on education funding.
- Prop 13 is still in effect today:
1. It limits the amount the state can require citizens to pay on property taxes.
2. It limits assessment for increasing property taxes.
3. It limits the ability of a community to levy taxes on itself - most new taxes (i.e. parcel tax) must be approved with 2/3 voter approval. Consequently, California residents pay extremely low property taxes in relation to the rest of the country.
4. It limits the amount of future funds available for education.
5. It causes education funding to become much more volatile as a result of dependence upon economic conditions.

REALITY:
Centralization in Sacramento of funding and education decision making coupled with Prop 13 (limiting property taxes - leaving schools underfunded) has been devastating to the California school system.

Private Donations are Critical to Ensure High Quality Schools

1980's
Education Foundations began to form throughout the state in response to the decline in state funding.
- High performing school districts realized that to maintain high quality public schools, private funding must be secured.
- Private funding for public schools became the new reality n California.
- Initially, Education Foundations largely supported enrichment programs (music and the arts). MBEF was formed in 1983 for this purpose.

1990's and 2000's
Education funding became extremely volatile.
Education Foundations evolved to fill in the gaps to provide programs considered vital to a quality education (computer, science, librarians, counselors, in addition to music and arts).
- State budgets are approved well after school districts are required to provide balanced budgets to the state.
- Categorical funding (funding of specific programs) has increased earmaking funds largely in lower socio-economic area and dictating how districts use limited funding, further removing local control of spending from school districts.
- State and Federal mandates were passed, including No Child Left Behind, without corresponding funding and setting unreasonable expectations for underfunded districts.
- Private funds have become critical for high performing school districts to continue to provide high quality education. In fact, California has more than 500 education foundations state-wide; more than any other state in the country.

REALITY:
- Private funding for our public schools is essential for quality schools!
- A minimum private donation (compared to private school tuition) from every family will supplement inadequate state funding and will ensure we continue to have outstanding PUBLIC schools in Manhattan Beach!