Why Chamber Backs CEPS Charter Amendment

By Dr. Michael E. Gruning

The correlation between a quality education and success throughout one’s lifetime has never been more evident than it is in our contemporary society. A glance at recent labor headlines demonstrates that even the low skill, safety net jobs of a decade or two ago will be no longer be available to future graduates.

With that as a backdrop, I am proud to be a participant in the efforts to bring a stable, predictable, and long-term funding stream to our local schools. The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce has today, Tuesday February 24, 2004 decided to lend its support to the enhancement of education in Santa Monica by formally endorsing the Committee for Excellent Public Schools Charter Amendment.

After many years of unsuccessful attempts to codify an agreement with the City of Santa Monica, those in the forefront of efforts to provide an excellent education to our children have proposed a Charter Amendment to be put before the voters.

This is a reasonable measure that asks for 6 million dollars in annual support from our City to the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District. This is a very modest increase from the 5.25 million that the City has been providing for some years.

With the volatility and uncertainty of state funding for the last few years, there were few if any options left. Our children deserve better than having to survive on bake sales and PTA raffles and fundraisers.

In a city as prosperous and progressive as ours, it seems somewhat disingenuous that our city fathers have not chosen to give a modicum of security to those who represent our future. It is simply a question of priorities. In a city that can find resources for a 70 million dollar library and a 60 million dollar public safety building, 6 million dollars per year for our most precious resource does not seem excessive.

Good schools benefit us all and are an integral component of a healthy, prosperous community. When the trappings of an attractive city are stripped away, what at its core is left? What draws businesses to relocate here and what allows our local real estate to shine as it does?

In a word it’s our schools. Parents don’t have to spend 20,000 dollars a year for private schools. Local kids can attend school locally. These are the future employees of our businesses. We need to ask ourselves “What is the risk of inaction?” Can we as residents, businesses, and city officials afford to pin our hopes on what may or may not happen in Sacramento? If history is a guide, the answer is resounding NO.

The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce has long been a supporter of education as is evidenced by our support of parcel taxes going back 15 years and most recently by our backing of the School Funding Initiative, Measure S. We also sponsor a new educators reception each year for the hundred or so new teachers to the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District.

Many of our member businesses and especially the hoteliers and financial institutions are consistent and reliable contributors to the local schools. Our support of this charter amendment is a natural extension of the sincere belief that better schools benefit us all on a short and long term basis. While we endorse this measure, a long term formal funding arrangement worked out in advance between the City and the District would of course be preferable.

(Eds note: Dr. Michael E. Gruning is chairman of the board of the
Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce)