The Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy & Jobs Endorses Measure EE
Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy & Jobsis endorsing Measure EE and urging voters to vote for the local funding measure on the June 4, 2019 ballot. If passed, the measure will provide the Los Angeles Unified School District a new revenue stream for the next 12 years to help support the growing educational needs of the district’s 600,000 students.
“Measure EE is an important and essential step in the right direction to improve the quality of public education in the LAUSD.” Said Coalition Board Chair Russell Goldsmith. “It will help to close the funding shortfalls facing the district and give Superintendent Austin Beutner and the School Board time to implement much needed reforms.”
The Coalition’s support is based in part on three key facts:
· Measure EE will provide much needed funding for critical initiatives such as more teachers to lower class sizes, support services for students such as counseling, additional pay for much deserved raises for teachers, and the materials and programming students need to compete in a 21st century economy.
· Measure EE will increase per pupil funding in the district. LAUSD now spends about $16,000 per student, compared to New York City schools – $24,000 per pupil (2016) and Boston schools – $22,000. This measure would raise $400 million to $500 million annually to help stabilize LAUSD’s budget, while reform measures move forward to improve the quality of education in the classrooms.
· Measure EE is linked to a LAUSD school board guarantee of the creation of an Independent Taxpayer Oversight Committee to shape and guide the Measure’s spending plan.
The Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy & Jobs: The Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy & Jobs (The L.A. Coalition) is an independent, bipartisan membership organization, established in 2009, to bring together leaders from the region’s business, labor, academic and nonprofit communities to advance sound policy initiatives that will help to responsibly grow the economy and create quality jobs throughout the L.A. region.