To the Editor,
I am writing in support of the parcel tax being voted on this November. Known as Measure K, it will add $189 per parcel per year to Culver City property taxes for seven years (seniors can opt out). Five years ago our school district agreed to ensure that teaching staff salaries would be at the median level in Los Angeles County in order to both recruit and retain the best teachers available. (CCUSD’s salary schedule had placed our teachers in bottom quarter.)
Subsequently, the legislators in Sacramento passed a bill requiring school districts to contribute more for all staff pensions. This requirement forced the district’s contributions to increase every year. In order to meet this demand, the district has been forced to dip into their reserve fund until a long term solution could be found.
Measure K will allow the district to meet its budgetary demands without depleting the reserve funds, but if the measure does not pass, significant cuts will have to be made to balance the budget. I hope that you will support our excellent school district in November and Vote Yes on Measure K so that
we can protect our great programs. The parcel tax is about 52¢ a day which a small price to pay for our excellent school system
Marv Brown, Ed.D.
Former Principal of Culver City High School
Dr Brown forgot to mention that the School Board had already agreed to “reinvest” its reserves in staff salary increases in 2011-12–long before the state mandated school districts to increase their STRS & PERS payments. He also neglected to point out that our district’s funding was increased by the state by almost $25,000,000 over the last six years. And still the Board, over the last two fiscal years, decided to deficit spend almost $12,000,000. That’s why board members are asking for a new parcel tax.