The Candidate Who Can Make a Difference

By Frederick W. Pierce

In evaluating the candidates for the PUSD Board, consider the track record, experience and achievements of the candidates and vote for the one who can truly make a difference by stopping the bleeding related to the budget and diversifying the revenue stream of the District . . . vote for Fred Pierce. http://www.FredPierceforSchoolBoard.com

With three PUSD Board seats up for election, the question that voters should be asking is who can make a difference? Who can lead an effort to stop the bleeding and get PUSD's budget turned around? The answer is Fred Pierce + I have the experience and a plan:

Increased Private Support. PUSD's Board needs to diversify its sources of revenue and lessen its dependence on the unreliable state budget. That means building upon the success of our school foundations and substantially increasing private support. As Fundraising Committee Chairman of the CSU Board of Trustees, I led the effort to dramatically increased private support for our public universities. Today, CSU campuses are expected to raise at least 10% of their general fund budget through private support. In PUSD, I will lead an initiative to work with our foundations to place an even greater focus on external support + and not necessarily from parents who are already doing their part. We can secure resources from Alumni, philanthropists, foundations, corporate sponsors and public-private partnerships. If we achieve the same 10% of general fund support that CSU has achieved (and many private K-12 schools generate), that represents $23 million in annual revenues.

Successful Legislative Advocacy. At the recent Candidates Forum, several candidates who have previously met with state legislators were clearly frustrated with their lack of success. Conversely, I have helped achieve significant legislative success for the CSU. I served 14 years (CSU Alumni Council leader and CSU Trustee) dedicated to legislative advocacy for higher education, where I gained the experience and relationships that can bring about positive change for our schools in Sacramento. At CSU, we were suffering the same type of budget cuts and volatility that PUSD has recently experienced. In order to create budget stability, we successfully negotiated a budget compact whereby the Governor committed to a multi-year funding plan for CSU. When state law restricted how CSU could issue debt and expend revenues, we worked with the legislature to pass new legislation that gave the CSU much broader financing and expenditure flexibility. I will use this experience to help bring about K-12 budget and operating reform in Sacramento.

Vote for the candidate who can make a real difference + http://www.FredPierceforSchoolBoard.com.