The Montessori Parent Advisory Committee, representing parents of students in the Birch Lane K-6 Montessori program, endorsed Measure W at its meeting on September 16. We urge all Davis residents to join us in supporting Measure W.

We parents in the Montessori program became acutely aware of the funding problems of our district when 5 of the program's 7 teachers received a pink slip in the spring, because they were among the most recently hired. All of these teachers were invaluable assets to our children's education. The community's efforts to raise funds via the Davis Schools Foundation helped to secure another year for our teachers and those in other Davis programs. However, we cannot – and should not -- count on private fundraising every year. Measure W is a solution that will provide stability and security to our district.

The state budget is in crisis, and further cuts from the state will be coming this fiscal year. Davis Joint Unified had to make significant cuts last year, and further reductions will come at the expense of our students, teachers and programs. Although Davis is well-known for its excellent schools, our district has a lower than average amount of revenue to spend, and no breathing room to absorb additional cutbacks.

Measure W will preserve our district's programs by providing a stable source of needed funds to continue to retain our excellent teachers and librarians. Measure W will provide funds for science teachers, librarians, and music teachers at the elementary level, and reduced class sizes in English and math as well as expanded course offerings and co-curricular offerings at the secondary level.

At just $10 a month per household for single-family homes ($50 a year for apartments), Measure W is a bargain and benefits all Davis households by helping to maintain our excellent school programs and teachers. An independent citizen oversight committee will ensure that the funds collected are used for these programs.

Thank you for voting yes on Measure W.

Montessori Parent Advisory Committee Officers: Meg Arnold, Emily Ault, Jen Boschee-Danzer, Jennifer Borenstein, Katherine Heck, Megan Rabin