Let the Voters Decide Bond Committee

Let the Voters Decide Bond Committee

Dear Editor,

Culver City school facilities are in poor shape. You can see it when you walk onto any one of our

campuses; termite damage, brown drinking water, missing ceiling tiles, inoperable sprinkler systems,

outdated electrical systems... the list goes on. It’s likely that any building constructed before 1955 needs repair or replacement.

All of our schools were built before 1955. The past five years of recession and the

overall underfunding of public education in California have left our school facilities in need of serious attention simply to make them safe and clean.

We are very concerned that, at the July 1 school board meeting, after a year of investigation, three

members of the school board blocked the placement of a bond to address these problems on the

November 2013 ballot, catching the public completely unaware.

Considering the obvious needs, escalating construction costs, and the projected uptick in interest rates, we ask the following:

Board members have an obligation to meet, discuss and vote on urgent matters impacting students.

We expect that our elected officials will meet as is necessary so they can discuss and act on

important matters. While it is desirable that all five board members participate, the absence of one or

two board members at any of the meetings is not reason enough to stop the process.

The board has been elected to do the work of the people. It has a responsibility to move forward despite scheduling conflicts.

REQUEST #1: Set up at least five school board meeting dates before August 8 so all five board

members have an opportunity to participate and can act in a timely fashion.

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REQUEST #2: If the dissenting school board members strongly disagree with any of the items in the

$165 million list, they should make their objections public in order to exclude that from the bond

offerings. Otherwise, it can be acknowledged that there is ample time for a carefully considered process to decide how best to meet our District’s pressing needs.

REQUEST #3: Let the voters decide on the bond measure.

The school board should not take away the public’s right to decide. Their only legally required action at this point is to send a 70 word statement to election officials in Norwalk in order to put the bond on the ballot.

REQUEST #4: We ask school board members Silbiger, Siever and Goldberg to join school board

members Paspalis and Chardiet in serving the needs of the community:

Crystal Alexander, Former Culver City Treasurer, Yes on EE Campaign Treasurer*

Marcia Antopol, Executive Director Fineshriber

Family Foundation*

Lezlie Brazil, El Rincon PTA President*

Anne Burke, El Marino PTA President*

Casey Chabola, Linwood E. Howe Teacher; CCHS Lacrosse Coach*

Jerry Chabola, Former CCHS Teacher & Athletic Director*

Janet Chabola, Owner Tower Insurance*

Jeff Cooper, Mayor*

Alan Corlin, Former Mayor & Council Member*

Leslie Gardner, Former PTA Council President*

Brenna Guthrie, Former CCMS PTA President*

Michael Hamill, Culver City Chamber of Commerce Chairperson*

Christopher King, Rotary Club President; Member Culver

City Homelessness Committee*

Scott Kecken, UPCC PAC Chairperson; Former President La

Ballona Education Partners*

Laura Jane Kessner, Parent Leader Linwood

E. Howe Elementary School*

Sandi Levin, Former Mayor & City Council Member*

Steven M. Levin, Former President Farragut

Fan Club; UPCC Founding President; School Board

Candidate*

Scott Malsin, Former Mayor; President, Farragut Fan Club; UPCC PAC Member*

Scott McVarish, UPCC PAC Member*

Heather Moses, Parent Leader La

Ballona Elementary School*

Maren Neufeld, Former CCHS PTA President; UPCC PAC Member*

Dan O’Brien, Former President, Culver City Great Parks Association; Former Executive VP, Culver

City Education Foundation; UPCC PAC Member*

Mehaul O’Leary, Council Member, Former Mayor*

Angela Penchansky, CoPresident,

Farragut PTA; Membership Chairperson, CCMS PTA*

Christie Ramsey, CoPresident,

Farragut PTA*

Dana Sayles, Culver City Planning Commissioner*Linda Smith Frost, Culver City Planning Commissioner*

Laura Stuart, Culver City Parks Commissioner*

David Voncannon, Culver City Planning Commissioner*

Bonnie Wacker, Former CCMS Panther Partner President; Former Farragut Fan Club President*

Jamie Wallace, Former El Marino ALLEM President*

Paul Walsleben, Linwood E. Howe Booster Club*

Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin, UPCC President*

Scott Wyant, Culver City Planning Commissioner*

Natasha Zarate, La Ballona Parent; UPCC Rep*