We, as employees of the Davis Joint Unified School District, write this letter to address the educational needs of Davis.  We come together in recognition that this town was, after all, founded on public education . This started with the founding of UCD 100 years ago, and continues today with a top notch public education system, the DJUSD.  This strong desire for the best education defines us as a community more than any other shared value, and we share many.
     
The Davis Joint Unified School District is the number one draw to our community.  It most likely brought you here , as it brought many of us here.   Living in Davis, we all reap the benefits of living near a world-renowned university, UCD.  But this is certainly not where education begins.  Rather, it begins in our public school classrooms, and today these classrooms are severely threatened and certainly underfunded.  We need far more revenue to run our programs than the state of California is willing or able to provide.  Without a parcel tax here in Davis ,  students will certainly have curtailed opportunities.   Many teachers will be pink-slipped , taking away  opportunities for our students to participate in music, foreign language, science, and drama . The elementary music and elementary science programs will be eliminated, and our libraries will not have librarians. Classes will be much larger in math and English at the 9th and 10th grade level.  Sports teams will only be available for those who can pay.  All of these lost opportunities, unfair and inequitable, will be our new reality without a parcel tax.          

Measure W is the parcel tax that we must have.  It will allow us to keep our excellent programs. It will maintain the status quo in our classrooms.  This parcel tax is good for three years, at a bargain price of ten dollars a month for homeowners   and four dollars a month for apartment renters.  That is the best bang for the buck in Davis.     

As we celebrate the centennial anniversary of  UC Davis this year, let's not only  consider  the great advancements and many achievements that got us here, though these are noteworthy. Let's also look forward and make a strong statement reaffirming the core value that shapes us as a community, education. Let's support Measure W and let our community continue to come together to support all our distinguished schools.    

~ Greg Brucker, Pat Wong, Tim Paulson, Ingrid Spencer, Cathy Haskell, Rena Nayyar, Gayle Bryner, Sandy Pattison, Patty Newman, Gail Johnson, Nancy Byrne, Steve Smythe, Karen Russell, Ainsley Lindberg, Susan Lewis, Sue Darst, Linda Biewer-Elstob, Karen Froman, Sherri Wall, Janet Sitts, Steve Kelleher, Cliff Diamond