19,613 / 61.21% Yes votes ...... 12,429 / 38.79% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote of this measure means:

A special tax will be levied of up to $300 per year, adjusted annually on a cumulative basis for inflation, on each parcel of land located within the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District to provide academic achievement and safety at the District?s schools.

A NO vote of this measure means:

No additional special tax will be levied increasing existing parcel taxes providing monies for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

The tax would be used to improve student achievement, attract and retain teachers and improve teaching skills, reduce class size, provide safe and well-maintained facilities, enhance athletic, music and arts programs, improve student accessibility to programs regardless of the students' ability to pay, upgrade computer technology and instruction, improve student career and counseling services, provide rigorous and challenging coursework, and provide early childhood, family support and after-school programs.

The tax would be levied for twelve (12) years commencing on July 1,
2003. Prior to each year, the Board of Education of the District ('Board') will conduct a public hearing to establish the rate per parcel for the following tax year. The rate per parcel would be adjusted annually in accordance with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) for All Urban Consumers (Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange areas). Any tax levied shall become a lien upon the properties against which taxes are assessed.

An expenditure plan (the 'Annual Plan') shall be developed annually for the succeeding fiscal year by District staff with input from the Citizens' Financial Oversight Committee ('Committee'). The Annual Plan, together with regular financial and audit reports, shall be made available to the committee and the public. As part of this reporting, the chief fiscal officer of the district shall file a report with the board and the committee at least once per fiscal year clearly identifying the amount of funds collected and expended, together with the status of any project required or authorized to be funded.

Each year, the District shall retain an independent auditor to review District records to determine that funds generated by this Measure have been maintained and expended in compliance with the Annual Plan and that other conditions of this Measure have been satisfied.

Information on this ballot measure is available in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese at 310/458-8211.

We have one of the finest school districts in Southern California. Santa Monica and Malibu schools strongly contribute to our community's values and desirability. Continued excellence at our schools is in jeopardy.

We cannot count on the State of California for sufficient funding to ensure local educational excellence during times of state budget crises. California ranks 38th in state expenditure per student - $1,000 below the national average.

Measure EE will allow our schools to avoid dramatic cutbacks in academic programs because of rising costs and a crisis in the state budget.

Measure EE requires strict accountability and an annual report to ensure that funds are used to help our students succeed. Measure EE receives an annual audit available to the public.

Official ballot arguments in support of Measure EE are signed by:

• James T. Butts, Jr., Chief of Police
• Michael Rich, Chair, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Financial Oversight Committee
• Ralph Mechur, President, Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation
• Laure Stern, President, Malibu Foundation for Youth
• Nathaniel Trives, Former Mayor of Santa Monica

None of the proposed additional funding is slated to deal with racial profiling and discrimination, nonresident permit preference, resistance to off-hour playground access, or cost overruns for campus improvements.

Measure EE quadruples the parcel tax increase passed in 2000. If EE passes you'll pay $498 in parcel taxes on top of payments for $300,000,000 in school and college bonds.

Recommendations to make the school district more efficient and responsible passed two years ago have not been instituted. Money doesn't cure bad management.

There is money available from the City of Santa Monica, and from making the City of Malibu pay their fair share for school services and by reducing nonresident ?services? to outsiders.

Official ballot arguments in opposition to Measure EE are signed by:

• Mathew L. Millen, Santa Monica Homeowner
• Donald Gray, Santa Monica Resident
• Polly Benson-Brown, Santa Monica Homeowner
• William H. Bauer, Renter