Dear Editor,
Culver City Unified is rated among the top 20% of all public school districts in California and is a key reason why many families move into our district. But many school buildings date back to the 1950s and have not had significant renovations in decades. Measure E is an educational facilities bond to fund necessary repairs to our public schools such as leaky roofs, falling ceiling tiles, outdated wiring, flooding caused by poor drainage and old plumbing, and more. It will also upgrade inefficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning units that contribute to poor air quality, and update science labs, libraries and instructional technology to better prepare our students for college and careers.
State funds cannot be used for these updates – local bond measures are the only source of funds to improve local schools. There has only been one school bond measure passed for CCUSD schools in the last 26 years, in 2014, and Culver City has the third lowest tax rate for school facility funding in LA County. Measure E requires local control and accountability, and by law all funds must remain under local control and may only support CCUSD schools. There will be a citizens’ oversight committee and publicly available audits to ensure the funds are spent wisely and as promised, as well as an Advisory Board for each school site to guide which projects should be tackled first.
Our children should not be coming home complaining of broken pipes, falling tiles and water pooling on the floors of their classrooms. They deserve better! Improving our schools ensures our kids have a safe, high-quality learning environment, keeps Culver City a desirable place to live, and supports our property values.
Unlike the claims in a recent Letter to the Editor, The “Yes on E” Committee is not a shadowy corporate shell entity. It is co-chaired by two CCUSD parents, and I am the Treasurer and a parent of a CCMS student. To find out more visit www.excellentculvercityschools.org
And please vote on March 5th to support Measure E.
Diane Wade
CCMS Parent
