Culver City Observer -

In the fall of 1979 I moved from New York State to Los Angeles. At a party, I asked where I might want to apply to work as a teacher. More than one guest suggested Culver City. I remember them saying that the community and the school district “were like a family”.

Thirty nine years later I’m still here! I’m still teaching at CCHS; I’m still the president of our teachers’ union; I’m a homeowner; and I’m the proud parent of two kids who thrived in our schools

But there’s a cold, hard fact about public schools in California: they are terribly underfunded.

Years ago former school board member, Mike Eskridge, was asked to list our schools’ two most pressing concerns. He answered: “money and money”. That was true then and it’s true now. That’s why it’s so important that we protect our schools by voting “Yes” on Measure K.

The dollars from Sacramento are simply not sufficient to maintain the excellent programs and services we’ve come to expect from our schools. Does anyone want to consider cuts to our academic offerings, athletics, the arts, counseling services, support for special needs kids, safety or security?

Can we afford to pass this parcel tax? Of course we can. A more accurate question is: “Can we afford not to?” Thanks, in advance, for voting to protect our schools!

David Mielke

Culver City