By Judy Davis and Janet Berry
Special to the Enterprise
The Davis Enterprise

This past spring, the entire Davis community came together to save the jobs of teachers threatened by layoffs and save the core programs in the Davis public schools. It was our great honor to be part of this communitywide effort led by the Davis Schools Foundation.

Working together, the community rescued treasured programs and teachers on behalf of our 8,532 students. This community demonstrated it values excellent education and wants to maintain the educational programs that we have come to expect from our Davis K-12 public schools.

Nothing is forever, though. The funds raised by the Davis Schools Foundation, and granted to Davis Joint Unified School District in May, were only sufficient for saving the programs and teachers' jobs this year. These donated funds will be fully expended to support core programs and more than 25 teaching positions by the end of the 2008-09 school year.

For that reason, we are urging you to support Measure W in this fall's election. Your 'yes' vote will provide a stable, ongoing funding source for these programs in the years ahead.

The continuing budget crisis at the state level translates to a very uncertain time for our Davis public schools. This uncertainty exists not just this year, but will continue over the next several years. The reason is simple: We have a widening gap between state tax receipts and funding obligations that will leave K-12 education shortchanged for the foreseeable future.

The uncertainty and reduction in state funding for education means our schools will immediately confront the prospect of deep cutbacks in local educational programs next year. That's why Measure W is so important. Passage of Measure W will provide security for the community by ensuring ongoing funding of the programs that were saved this past spring. These programs are not supported by Measure Q or by any other local tax revenue or state funds.

We learned during the spring campaign that a structural budget problem exists in the district, and we heard over and over that people expected a structural solution, like a parcel tax. In the most basic terms, unless new revenue is provided through Measure W, existing core educational programs will be eliminated. Many donors to the Davis Schools Foundation's Dollar-a-Day Campaign stated that a structural solution needed to be a top priority for the community. We now have the opportunity to make it so.

Measure W complements the actions taken by Davis Board of Education to cut costs. More than 82 percent of our school district's General Fund budget is spent on expenses that are directly related to student instruction, such as teachers and counselors. The school board cut $1.1 million from its budget this past spring. These cuts came from administration, site discretionary spending, department budgets and freezes in hiring. Our district now ranks among the best in the state in minimizing overhead.

However, every student in our schools will feel the impact if Measure W does not pass. Elementary school science is a perfect example of an essential program that would be protected by Measure W. The elimination of this program could have devastating effects on our children's educational opportunities.

'Science in elementary school opens children's eyes to the physical world in a way that no other subject can. The doctors, researchers and engineers of tomorrow are born in the classroom science labs of today,' says Leslie Whiteford, a Davis elementary science teacher. Without Measure W, $2.4 million in cuts will be necessary and everyone in the community will lose.

Our school district accomplishes many great things with far too little funding. Davis schools receive less in funding per student than the national or state average. This causes our district to have to stretch every dollar to try to cover increasing costs and maintain excellent educational programs. However, there is only so far that a dollar can be stretched ... and that's why Measure W is a necessary structural solution.

The current district budget situation creates uncertainty and anxiety. Students don't know whether teachers are coming back next year, or if they will have the opportunity to take the classes they need for entrance to college or to transition to the workplace. Our teachers are unsure whether they will have a job the following year to support themselves and their families. Many excellent teachers are forced to look for alternative work and may need to accept those positions before they know if they will have a job in the upcoming year.

Spencer Elliott, a Davis High School English teacher who received a pink slip layoff notice last spring, noted that 'we all know that we have a choice this year. Either we make Measure W work, or there will be layoff notices early next year.'

A 'yes' vote on Measure W will ensure that every year is not a repeated crisis and will protect our students and teachers from an insecure future.

Measure W does not add any new programs and has no overlap with Measure Q. Measure W simply provides ongoing funding to maintain programs already in place that are central to the excellent education provided by our schools.

These programs include such essentials as elementary school science, librarians and secondary class size reduction for math and English. Measure W also continues funding to preserve the availability of class periods for foreign language, music and physical education. In addition, the measure will preserve athletics and co-curricular programs, including drama, debate and journalism.

Measure W isn't just 'another new tax.' It's a smart investment in our community. The amount per homeowner assessed by Measure W is capped at $120 ($10 per month per homeowner). The school board will have an annual public meeting to determine the amount needed per parcel each year based on each year's budget. A citizens oversight committee will assure a thorough annual review of expenditures.

So, for the relatively modest investment of $10 per month, the public ensures that Davis schools continue to be among the highest-ranked and best-performing in California. That, in turn, translates to making Davis a better-educated and more dynamic community.

Investment in our public schools is a defining feature of our community. The quality of Davis public schools has been a significant factor in sustaining the historic strength of property values in Davis, and has been credited with having a positive, stabilizing effect during the current real estate downturn.

When you take a moment to consider the value contributed by Davis public schools to our community, cultural programs and our local economy, all of us get a far higher return than the $120 investment in Measure W. This measure also offers a direct exemption to anyone 65 years and older who may be unable to afford the tax because of limited or fixed incomes.

Whether you have children in the Davis schools or not, the benefits of a thriving public school system extend to us all. We are inviting all school district families, grandparents, homeowners, voting students, business owners and our community to join us in voting yes on Measure W to maintain the quality of our Davis schools.

Measure W is a win for all of us.

- Judy Davis retired in June after a long career as a Davis teacher and principal. Janet Berry is a parent and president of the Davis Schools Foundation, which raised $1.7 million last spring to save teachers' jobs and preserve programs. They are honorary co-chairs of the Measure W campaign.