Business Leaders for Measure CC

As past chairs of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, we are pleased to join with many other business and community supporters to urge people to vote “yes” on Measure CC, the 33-cents-a-day parcel tax to help the Pasadena Unified School District avoid devastating layoffs and cuts to effective school programs.

Good schools are a critical component of a healthy community and a healthy business climate. They educate the next generations of citizens and leaders, and prepare them for our future workforce so we can compete in the global economy.

Moreover, the No. 1 factor in maintaining property values is the quality of local public schools. Whether or not we have children in PUSD, Measure CC is a smart investment in our community.

We have confidence in PUSD Superintendent Edwin Diaz and the team he has assembled to run the district. The PUSD is well-managed and has shown remarkable progress in recent years. Students are performing at record-high levels. The district has earned local, state and national recognition for academic excellence, closing achievement gaps and innovative reforms. In 2002, only three schools scored over 700 on the academic performance index (API). In 2009, 23 schools scored above 700, 16 scored above 750 and nine scored higher than 800. PUSD has increased scores faster than the state and county averages. Further gains are expected this year.

But all this could end abruptly because of state cutbacks for public education.

The PUSD is losing $23 million in state funding starting July 1. This is on top of the $33 million in state cuts that the district has endured over the past five years. Until now, the PUSD was able protect classrooms and teachers by streamlining central office operations, eliminating 26 percent of senior administrative positions, cutting clerical and custodial staff and reducing maintenance and other support service expenses.
But this current wave of cuts will be devastating.

All school libraries will be closed. About 200 teachers, counselors, nurses, and psychologists have already received lay-off notices. Class sizes will go up. Many music and art programs will be eliminated. Advanced courses in math and science will be reduced. Summer school will be cut back drastically or eliminated altogether. For the 20,000 students in the PUSD, these cuts will be devastating.

Measure CC is how the communities of Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Altadena are coming together to support their local public schools. It is a parcel tax of 33 cents a day – only $120 a year – for five years. The $7 million a year raised by Measure CC will go directly into classrooms. It will allow the PUSD to avoid the most devastating cuts. It will help pay for the district’s day-to-day operations – teachers, librarians, counselors, purchasing textbooks and other basic components of education. Every dollar raised by Measure CC will stay in our community to benefit our schools and our children. It cannot be taken away by Sacramento.

Please join us in voting “yes” for Measure CC by mail-in ballot before May 4.

Ann T. Hight is retired senior investment advisor at Dean Witter Reynolds. Jaylene L. Moseley owns real estate firm J. L. Moseley Company. They wrote this with three other former Pasadena Chamber of Commerce chairmen: Omel A. Nieves, attorney with Hunt Ortmann; Bill Podley, CEO of Dickson Podley Realtors, and Nat Read, president of Read Communications.