Parents of United Parents of Culver City (UPCC), the year old parent union which promotes an educational culture that places the interests of students before those of adults, will hand deliver a petition containing over 514 signatures, urging the school board to give the voters the right to vote on a school facilities bond this November 2013. The petition will be delivered to the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) office and was emailed to all 5 of the School Board members and to Superintendent Dave LaRose.
“By delivering the petition to the school board, UPCC is showing that there is a large group of people who believe that our students deserve classrooms and buildings that are not falling apart. They support a facilities bond which would provide needed funds to make these necessary improvements.” says UPCC president Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin.
In addition to the online petition, UPCC has organized a “Let the voters decide bond committee” of Culver City community leaders who urged the school board to put the bond in the hands of the Culver City people.
Background: Early this year, the School Board began the process of investigating what the facility needs of the schools are, and whether or not there was a good chance the public would support a bond measure on the November ballot. The process included a “Needs Assessment” which was conducted by Balfour Beatty. With input from District staff, site administrators, teachers, and parents, the comprehensive, line item study stated that CCUSD facilities are in “dire need of repair and modernization.” It was estimated that approximately $165 million would be needed to address all the concerns listed.
In addition, all five members of the school board authorized and hired consultants who, among other things lead a workshop which helped define and prioritize which facilities needs were most important. From this workshop, a telephone survey was conducted. The scientific survey with 95% accuracy rate revealed that 67% of those surveyed said that they would support a facilities bond measure. The consultants advised that it is likely that the bond measure would pass.
However, in a surprise prepared statement, board member Karlo Silbiger blocked the process by stating that he did not know enough about the bond. Board members Patricia Siever and Nancy Goldberg followed his lead. Board president Kathy Paspalis and board member Laura Chardiet, parents who both have students who attend CCUSD supported the bond.
The Culver City School Board had until July 30th to vote on and authorize the bond measure for the November 2013 election.
For more information about United Parents of Culver City, the bond and the Let the Voters Decide Bond Committee, visit http://www.UnitedParentsCulverCity.com
email: [email protected]
No matter how many people sign a petition, petitioners, such as the UPCC, will try to portray the signatures they collect as being the “Will of the People.”
But, petitions, no matter how many people sign them, should never be seen as a vote of the people. Because inherent to the petition process, there is no room on it for casting dissent, only agreement. There is no accurate way to determine how many people, when asked to sign, after reading it, chose not to sign on. It only shows how many chose to sign it.
Local parents need to remember that what is put on a ballot and when it is presented to voters is at the sole, legal discretion of their elected governing board, not of the people! Once it is put on the ballot, then and only then, does the electorate make their final decision on its approval.
George Laase