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News Releases » Monterey Peninsula Unified School District to Engage with Educators Across the State Rallying for Full and Fair Funding of Public Schools

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District to Engage with Educators Across the State Rallying for Full and Fair Funding of Public Schools

Seaside, CA – Board members, the superintendent, teachers, parents from the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District and community members will travel as a group to Sacramento on Wednesday, May 22 for a day of action rallying for Full and Fair Funding of public schools. The rally will take place on the steps of the State Capitol in Sacramento at 4:00 p.m.

 

During the rally educators from across the state will call on the Legislature to raise school funding to the national average by 2020 and to the average of the top 10 states by 2025. Learn more at http://www.fullandfairfunding.org/. The MPUSD Board of Education recently adopted a resolution calling for Fair and Full Funding. The resolution may be found here.

 

Prior to leaving for the rally, MPUSD will host a brief press conference in front of Ord Terrace Elementary School, located at 1755 La Salle Avenue in Seaside, prior to board a school bus to Sacramento at 11:35 a.m..

 

Media is invited to engage with MPUSD school board members, the superintendent of schools, teachers, parents and community members between 11:35 – 11:55 a.m. Officials will make brief comments and take questions from the media.

 

Schedule

 

11:15 a.m. Board school bus at the District Services Center, located at 540 Canyon Del Rey

11:30 a.m. Arrive to Ord Terrace for press briefing
11:35 a.m. Press Briefing
11:55 a.m. Board school bus at Ord Terrace
12:00 noon Leave Ord Terrace toward State Capitol
3:30/3:45 p.m. Unload in front of Capitol
4:00 p.m. Participate in rally at Capitol

5 - 6 p.m.  Board bus back to Monterey

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Background


The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District has come a long way in just five short years. We have developed a well-earned reputation for providing solid instructional teaching and learning and a strong systems of support to the families in the communities of Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Sand City and Seaside. Our schools and educators have received numerous local, state and national recognition and awards, and our graduates are accepted into top universities in the nation and continue on incredible career paths. To access these outstanding opportunities, our students rely on us – their teachers, school support staff, and administrators – to provide a secure foundation from which to grow. As is the case with all schools in California, MPUSD is facing financially challenging times. 
 
While California is the fifth largest economy in the world, our schools are funded in the bottom 10% when compared to other school systems in the United States. Though some have claimed that public education is now “fully funded” that is far from true. In reality, the state has only restored school funding to the 2008 levels, which is nowhere near enough to meet the needs of our schools in 2019. To further complicate matters, the state continues to shift financial responsibilities to districts without providing funds to support these mandates. This is further compounded by the rapidly rising cost of living on the Monterey Peninsula and Central Coast, where districts are finding it increasingly difficult to sustain a living wage for employees.
 
MPUSD continues to experience unparalleled success due to the high quality and long-standing commitments, dedication and passion of our employees. Our human capital is the most critical resource we have in providing a world-class education for our students. We are dependent on the state’s insufficient funding model, which fluctuates based on market conditions and variable taxes. MPUSD leaders believe that public educational investments should be sufficient to provide the highest quality educational programs in the nation, and the funding model should be based on stable secure and funding guidelines. This is not just core to our personal beliefs – our future as a country depends on it.
 
This past year, MPUSD has appealed to the California legislature to raise school funding levels to the national average by 2020, and to the average of the top 10 states by 2025. Our 10,150 students in MPUSD – along with the 6.2 million students enrolled throughout the state – deserve better.