Letter to the Editor in Support of Measure S

By SPUSD Parent and Teacher Helena Yee

PHOTO: SouthPasadenan.com | AP Art students working on projects during Back To School night

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As a parent and teacher in the South Pasadena community, I have seen first hand the impact that Measure S funding has had in our schools. Over the past decade, education in South Pasadena Unified School District has been transformed by Measure S, which has allowed for smaller class sizes for our district to attract and retain the best teachers in the region.

Now, this critical source of funding is threatened. If we do not vote YES to renew Measure S on the February 27 all-mail ballot, this locally-controlled funding will expire in June and our schools will face $2.3 million in education cuts every single year moving forward. This means cutting programs, cutting teachers and increasing class sizes at our local elementary schools, middle school and high school. This would have a direct negative effect on the quality of education that South Pas students receive, making it harder for local kids to compete for the best colleges and careers.

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The per-student funding South Pasadena schools receive from the State is among the lowest in California, and Measure S is how we have made up that slack. All Measure S funding is monitored by a Citizens’ Oversight Committee to ensure it is spent in South Pas schools and as promised. It is time to vote YES to renew Measure S to sustain the science, technology, engineering, music and arts programs that our students need for success in the 21st Century.

Let’s keep our schools among the best, let’s vote YES on S. My family has already turned in their vote-by-mail ballots and I encourage you to do the same.

Helena Yee

SPUSD Parent and Teacher