Since 2008, the Morgan Hill Unified School District has cut more than $12 million from an average annual budget of about $70 million. Custodial and maintenance positions have been cut, dozens of teaching positions have been eliminated, the district’s administrative staff has been reduced, two days of instruction have been cut from the school year and one school has been closed. What message does this send our students?
It tells them we don’t value education.
“Every day in an AP class is like three days in a normal class, and so shortening the school year by just one week is like missing three weeks of instruction,” Sobrato senior Lauren Newcomb told reporter Angela Ruggiero. “This affects our performance on the AP tests, which are essential for getting into the colleges of our choice.”
And that brings us to the dilemma we face as a community.
Do we fund educating our students, or do we continue down the current path of continuous cuts?
Late last year, the district floated ideas about a parcel tax, issuing bonds, or a local sales tax to raise revenues to keep the district operating at its current level. Is it time to do what other communities have done and put a revenue-generating measure on the ballot? That’s the question we, as a community, need to answer. In 2010, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Los Gatos-Saratoga all passed measures that help fund their schools.
“You’re seeing larger class sizes, which is putting a lot more stress and pressure on teachers and administrators in the classrooms and you’re seeing fewer resources to students,” Superintendent Wes Smith said. “We don’t have that luxury of additional resources. We have to be cutting to the bare bones.”
The state currently ranks 47th in per pupil funding, and as we know just throwing money at a problem won’t necessarily solve that problem. But, a good plan – perhaps one of the several different teaching methods the district is considering – with solid accountability for where the money goes, could go a long way. We also know the schools can’t solve all the problems. Parent involvement at the school sites and at home is key to making any plan work. Voters will need assurances the money is spent wisely before they’ll OK any ballot measure.
So, here’s our choice. Feel the pain that will surely continue, or start paying more locally to fund our schools.
It’s time to walk the talk and show our children that we really value them and their education.
