For the past eight years, I have served as an educator in Davis. During that time, I have seen tremendous academic and personal growth of thousands of our students, all of whom have benefited from our outstanding Davis schools.

As a community, we have consistently valued a wealth of scholastic and extracurricular activities to provide a variety of opportunities for student success. Unfortunately, the state of California does not adequately fund the district programs we have come to expect and adore.

This dilemma has been compounded by declining enrollment, increases in programmatic offerings and a series of troubling state budgets. Many districts, whose student demographics and success rates mirror ours, receive more than double per-pupil funding than we receive in Davis, primarily a result of their local property tax revenue. In essence, we have less money yet the same high standards for our schools and students.

We have high expectations for good reasons in Davis. Our students attend the best secondary education institutions in the nation. We have seen them perform in symphonies and on athletic fields, perform on stage and in the work place. These achievements began in our classrooms, where a love for learning was fostered by highly trained and passionate teachers.

Without additional local funding, our students face the real possibility of fewer highly qualified teachers to guide our students. As a result, our students' opportunities to find success within and outside of the classroom may be significantly limited. I sincerely hope that you will support our students and teachers, and vote for Measure W, which will support the programs we have come to expect and adore in Davis.