The latest from the YES campaign

By Ben Churchill, Carlsbad Unified School District
Superintendent San Diego Union Tribune Guest Commentary

For too long, California’s local public schools have gone without essential repairs and upgrades and unfortunately, it’s our students who suffer the consequences. Luckily, we have the opportunity to improve the learning environment for students across the state and right here in San Diego, with Proposition 2.

The truth is, many schools were built over 70 years ago. While we have done a good job of updating things as we’ve gone, classrooms are in need of bigger repairs and upgrades to ensure that our students are getting the skills they need to compete for the jobs of today and the future.

More than a third of the children in California are attending schools that aren’t meeting minimum standards, and are exposed to issues like deteriorating gas, electrical, and sewer lines, unsafe drinking water, and the effects of extreme weather. Leaking roofs, malfunctioning bathrooms, and removing hazardous mold, asbestos, and lead paint are just a few of the examples of projects our schools need to address most urgently.

…

Thankfully, Proposition 2 provides a pathway to improve these issues.

Proposition 2 will authorize a $10 billion investment — without raising any taxes or fees — to make the most necessary repairs and upgrades in our local public schools and to address the growing inequality in public school funding. These investments are essential for our students to remain safe and ready to learn, as study after study has shown.

…

But even with our local investments and successes, more needs to be done to secure a future for the kids who depend on us, which is the reality when school facilities are decades old.

Just weeks ago, as students were beginning the school year, Southern California was hit with an extreme heat wave. As a coastal community with a temperate climate, we made do with what air conditioning and fans we have, but as temperatures rose to the high 80s and 90s, many schools’ existing venting and air conditioning units were stretched to their breaking points. The result across San Diego County included shortened classes, students with heatstroke and malfunctioning equipment. With rising temperatures on the horizon, we need the resources to equip schools to handle future heat waves while keeping our students safe. Proposition 2 will provide the funding to make these upgrades.

Proposition 2 will also support schools that have been damaged by earthquakes, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters, ensuring kids have access to temporary classrooms so as not to disrupt learning. With expectations for an “above normal” fire season in September and October throughout San Diego County, it’s imperative that we look to long-term solutions for our kids.

In addition to providing the structural updates and modernization that our schools need, Proposition 2 was written with strict accountability provisions, public disclosures and independent audits to ensure that funding actually goes to schools, preventing politicians from redirecting that funding. These guardrails mean that the protections built into Proposition 2 will help keep local control and ensure that funding is used as voters intend.

I’m also encouraged to see that Proposition 2 will not only modernize classrooms for K-12 schools, but will expand technical and vocational job training programs so that students throughout our county, who may not have the resources to attend a four-year college, will have more access to careers and training that result in good-paying jobs.

Proposition 2 will also fund important safety and security protections like door locks, emergency communications and security systems, fire alarms, smoke detectors and more.

…

Vote “yes” on Proposition 2.

To read the full opinion piece, visit the San Diego Union Tribune

###