The Culver City Education Foundation urges the Culver City community to Vote YES

The Culver City Education Foundation urges the Culver City community to Vote YES on CCUSD Bond Measure E on the March 2024 ballot. This bond will raise $358 million in dedicated funding to address critical facility improvements at every Culver City school, and will help support the needs of Culver City students and teachers.

Why it’s needed:

• Culver City schools are aging and in desperate need of infrastructure repairs and improvements.

• Public school districts have limited options when it comes to financing essential school facility improvements, and the State provides very minimal assistance. 

• There has only been one school bond measure passed for CCUSD schools in the last 26 years, and Culver City has the third lowest tax rate for school facility funding of any school district in LA County.

• Frequently Asked Questions

How will it be spent?

• Priority projects will focus on urgent repairs, student safety, and classroom technology. This includes repairing and updating crumbling ceilings and foundations, leaky roofs and old wiring, plumbing and drainage, and campus safety improvements, as well as modernizing classrooms, science labs, instructional technology, and libraries.

• Facility projects will be prioritized with significant input from each school site. CCUSD leadership is currently holding meetings and information nights with parents, teachers and administrators of every Culver City school to listen to their concerns and facility needs. Representatives from the architect and construction teams are also attending to answer questions and hear the school site feedback.

• A Facilities Advisory Committee is being formed with CCUSD teachers and community members which will provide ongoing recommendations and feedback to the district regarding facilities needs and priorities.

• By law bond funding may not be spent on any revenue generating projects, such as staff housing.
  
• Learn more about specific needs that have been identified at each school site.

Why now?

• The State of California currently has matching funds for capital improvements that are available to those districts that have a local bond measure in place. Passing Measure E would allow CCUSD to bring in an estimated additional $42 million in State matching funds to meet our facility needs.  A second round of State matching funds is slated to be approved in November.

• Plans for school district construction projects in California are required to be reviewed and approved at the state level through the Division of the State Architect (DSA). This adds to the long lead time in completing urgent facility improvements. The sooner the process can begin, the sooner the facility improvements can get resolved.

• The costs of the needed facility improvements are projected to rise by millions of dollars the longer it takes to begin. 

Bond funding requires strict public oversight:

• Independent citizens’ oversight and annual audits with public reports are required to ensure that funds are spent as promised.
  
• CCUSD is working hard to demonstrate transparency by taking steps above and beyond what is mandated by law. The Citizens Bond Oversight Committee will be established in advance of the March ballot, providing the community with full knowledge of who be monitoring bond expenditures. In addition, the Committee has been expanded to 15 members with a representative from each school site, and will meet quarterly and report to the Board twice per year and more often as needed, instead of the state requirement to meet annually.

Strong schools = A strong community

• Culver City Unified School District schools are ranked among the best and most diverse in the entire state. 

• As a community that wants the best for our students, we need to invest in maintaining this valuable asset and sustain our reputation for excellence.

• Our excellent schools are a point of pride for our city. Culver City schools are part of what makes this community a great place to live and help keep our property values strong.

Culver City students and teachers are faced with inadequate and substandard learning conditions. The time is now to improve our schools for the nearly 7,000 students in our district, and the thousands of children who will enter our public schools in the years to come.

You can make a big difference in helping to bring this critical funding into our school district. Vote YES on Measure E and lend a hand to raise awareness and support.