On behalf of the students of Culver City, I would like to say how very proud I am to work in this District and in this City. On November 3, 2009, the voters of this community stepped up and put our students first by passing the parcel tax, Measure EE. Measure EE will provide more than $1 million a year for five years to help CCUSD retain programs that would otherwise have been victims of state budget cuts. Your vote on November 3 spoke volumes about the level of importance Culver City places on its schools.
Heartfelt thanks go out to so many who made this possible. Thank you, Board of Education, for relentlessly pursuing desperately needed dollars for our students. Thank you, “Yes on EE = Educational Excellence” Committee, for the amazing job you did running the campaign. Thank you, dedicated staff members, for going above and beyond your normal work day to educate our community about the need for the parcel tax. And finally, thank you citizens of Culver City, who without question, sent the message that you truly care about the children of this District and our community by passing Measure EE with a positive vote of 74.6% !
As a District that has always been mindful of its pennies, and a District that continues to do more with less, it is frustrating to continually battle the political decisions made in Sacramento that cut funding for education to address the state’s fiscal challenges.
We are not finished fighting budget decisions made in Sacramento, but it is extremely comforting to know that the funds generated by Measure EE will stay right here in Culver City. Every penny will go to provide stable local funding to maintain math, science, technology, music and art programs; updated instructional materials; quality teachers; school libraries; and small class sizes.
We have had to make some difficult cuts over the past two years and we know that the years ahead will not be easy. But thanks to the voters of Culver City, we stand proud knowing that we have a community that supports the high-quality public education we strive to provide day in and day out at each of our 10 school sites.
I have always been impressed with the way Culver City’s business community has embraced our schools. From large companies like Sony Pictures Entertainment and Symantec to hometown companies like John Riordan Plumbing and Rita Zide at Roll ‘n Rye, I know we can count on our community to do what is best for our students. And now the residents of Culver City have stepped up to the plate. Whether we look at the passage of the $40 million Measure T Bond in 1998 or Measure EE in 2009, I cannot express how wonderful it is to know that our schools are supported.
As we move forward and face the difficult decisions that lie ahead of us, I strongly encourage all of us to remember how we feel today. We worked together for the benefit of our students, our schools and our community – and it feels great! Thank you all for your support!
Dr. Myrna Rivera Coté
