There’s More Than Fundraising to PTA
Did you know that PTA is one of the country’s strongest educational lobbies? Historically, PTA:
· established kindergarten
· initiated child labor laws
· championed prohibition of selling cigarettes to minors
The California State PTA:
· helped place Prop 98 on the ballot – California’s constitutional funding guarantee for schools
· advocated for K-3 class size reduction
All of the above were considered controversial at the time and faced heated opposition.
California State PTA’s priorities are:
· advocacy
· engagement
· communication
Today California PTA’s most pressing issue is school funding. A 2007 Stanford Coalition study found California’s schools underfunded by as much as 40%. A March 2005 Rand study found that “California schools lag behind other states on almost every objective measurement.” Per-pupil spending has droppedsince the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, and is well below the national average.
What are the numbers for SMMUSD?
· 11,565 students in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
· 25.12% participation in free or reduced lunch program
· $6,208 per student per year from CA—about $700 less than national average
· An additional $2,412 or 23.1% per student per year received from local sources: parcel tax ($11M per year with COLA), joint use agreements with cities of Santa Monica and Malibu ($7.4M per year), lease revenue ($2.7M per year), PTA contributions, Education Foundation, and other local revenues ($7.44M per year)
State Budget Cuts
State budget cuts have forced SMMUSD to cut its own budget by $12 million in 18 months—more than 10% of total
· $4.5 million cut in 2008-2009
· $8 million MORE by June 2011
What does $8 million mean to SMMUSD?
•$6.4M salaries & benefits (85 positions, roughly 10% of workforce)
• $1M programs & services
• $400,000 books & supplies
2009 School Funding Exploratory Committee
· Santa Monica–Malibu Board of Education has appointed a 32-member committee to assess the feasibility of a new temporary school funding measure to help fill some of the $8 million funding shortfall.
· Committee also tasked to explore the possibility of a new capital improvement bond.
Your Advocacy
Advocacy from Santa Monica-Malibu PTA Council, School PTAs & PTA members makes the difference in school funding campaigns. Stay informed and get involved!
To view this PowerPoint presentation in its entirety, go to http://smmpta.org/ and click on Advocacy.
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To view the Superintendent’s PowerPoint presentation on district budget projections for the next three years, go to http://www.smmusd.org. Click on Budget Information for 2009-2011. Under Budget Information for 2010-2011, click on Superintendent’s Budget Presentation – January 2010.