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By Laura Blakely
As Trustees, we are optimistic about the future of our schools and community. MVWSD and the City of Mountain View share the ultimate goal of the well-being and success of our community, and we believe that by working together, we can achieve even greater heights.
First, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the City for its generous support and funding over the years. Our organizations have partnered on crossing guards for dangerous intersections and safe routes to schools for bikers and walkers. The City contributed funding to the staff housing project. The City also serves as the administrator of MVWSD’s share of tax revenue from the Shoreline area and passes through a portion of tax revenue to us each year; last year, $6.5 million.
Through our responsible use of community funds, here are some of the significant gains MVWSD has made for families:
Expanded Internet Access for All Families:
We are proud to invest $500,000 annually to create a citywide reliable internet access – a critical component of education – to all families within our district.
Feeding Kids and Adults in Need for Free:
This initiative has supported both academic performance and also addressed food insecurity with tens of thousands of free meals annually.
Increased Literacy Rates for Students:
Our focus on literacy has yielded remarkable results, with significant improvements in reading proficiency across our elementary schools. Our English language instruction ensured that 144 language learners achieved proficiency last year – the largest number in recent history.
Healthy and Green Schools:
Our schools have been recognized nationally and regionally for environmental and whole child initiatives that keep students cool, healthy and safe.
Transitional Kindergarten:
Using only District funds, we’ve invested $3.6 million in the expansion of Transitional Kindergarten so 4-year-olds can start school for free with crucial early-learning experiences. These accomplishments underscore our commitment to being good stewards of the community’s money; we are determined to build on this success.
We wonder, what could we do with $9 million more each year, or MVWSD’s full share of $15.7 million from Shoreline? A lot. With enhanced support from the City, we could:
Lead the Way in Safe and Effective Use of AI:
In the last 5 years we have created a computer engineering course for our middle students. Last year 32 students successfully attained industry-level Python Coding certification. We can go further in preparing students for the future while ensuring ethical and responsible AI practices.
Invest in the Young Adults Who Will Address Global Challenges:
Our students are the future leaders who will grapple with pressing issues like climate change, sea level rise, and affordable housing. By investing in their education, we can equip them to tackle these challenges head-on to the benefit of all of Mountain View.
Gifted and Talented Education:
All students deserve to be met at their educational level and challenged to move further. High-performing students need challenge to keep them learning and engaged.
Dual Language Immersion:
Expanding our current English-Spanish language programs and potentially adding new languages means that even more students will benefit from enhanced literacy and speaking skills and cultural understanding, which in turn expands their global citizenship and gives them an edge in the competitive global job market.
Investing in current and future students with additional Shoreline funds does not mean defunding City initiatives. We all love and use Shoreline Park which has come a long way since its inception in 1983. The City can maintain its investment there, while making whole MVWSD and the MVLA High School District with the revenue originally slated for each school district.
Through a strong, collaborative relationship with the City, we can continue to deliver and build on exceptional educational experiences and community services. We eagerly await their cue to meet and openly negotiate our joint resources so that every Mountain View resident has the opportunity to thrive.
Laura Blakely is a member of the Mountain View Whisman School District Board of Trustees.
What is sad is that this measure must pass, but the grift laden administration’s soiled the reputation of this district. And, those on the board are/were conplicit
Where is the grift Paagal?
What a self serving pack of untruths. The STATE mandates TK and being a basic aid district, the funding for MVWSD does not increase per student. That’s a sign the district has high revenues, not a problem.
The idea that the North Bayshore tax basis increase would have occurred without the ongoing reinvestment of property tax revenues is absurd. The only reason the revenues reach up to say $16 Million is due to this reinvestment in the area. The regional park and its amenities like a sailing lake and golf course and open space are what DRAWS Google to the area and causes them to build ever more complex office developments. MVWSD’s arguments that it should take $16 Million of property tax revenues from this are is pure greed. There are few children living there at present. If MVWSD should get its full share, then why not the County, the high school district, and the city itself? The money is used for the North Bayshore management and it is needed for that purpose. MVWSD should be grateful for this found money of $6 Million because it spends so wastefully with an overpaid Superintendent and ludicrous security measures and meditation sessions and heaven only knows what else.
Trustee Blakely has herself soiled the City-Schools partnership. She has publicly called the City childish at her Public Comment before a City Council meeting! She continues to resist ‘the deal’ that the City has already inked and gotten approval for from the High School district (no call for it to be Discussion and Action on MVWSD Agenda.) (say what?) (no public discussion?)
And, to top it off, there are 4 schools with ‘beyond reasonable lifetime’ classroom roofs that we now learn leak! The Board and Blakely (7+ years) have not seen that Bond money be used to entirely replace those very old shingled roofs. “We saw sizable, or a number of leaks this year [ winter ’23-’24 ] with the rainfall.” Superintendent Rudolph 2024/09/19. This is the Graham Middle school. Bubb, Imai, and Landels have roofs that were Priority 1 to be replaced from the 2010 Bond (T) that still have been ignored by the Board with the latest Bond (G)! President Conley apparently thinks. ‘put on the list’ is equivalent to “Projects complete and LEAKING ROOFS REPLACED!” Replacement of admitted leaking roofs ? This is not a Green award / it is more like green mold or toxic Black Mold worthy. (check the EPA on water leaks and classroom mold)
Trustee Blakely and some other MVWSD ‘leaders’ just refuse to acknowledge their, may I say, ‘fiscal stupidity’, when it is clearly pointed out to them. And even when the free press points it out to them (General Fund $1,100 per “meditation” contract / San Francisco Chronicle et. al. earlier this month). Or hundreds of students and parents! (save $1.2M of General Fund by eliminating elective middle school courses / without ‘real’ teacher or student whole-community surveys).
I am not running an Anti-Measure AA campaign, but I will Vote NO! Clean up MVWSD fiscal abuses first. Allow the Shoreline $2.5M min. guarantee, ($5.6 M last year), $6.5M+ coming years contract ON TO THE DARN AGENDA Trustee Blakely! Vote YES on it!
Trustee Blakely and Berman seem to be, IMO, running away from the coming fiscal crash (reported MV Voice 7/31) and they are not running for office again. President Conley seems, IMO, to also be ‘running away’ fromher own responsibility for “depening defects” by trying to get elected to Council!
“deepening deficits” (oops/ check the spell check)
Now, like the last “Opinion” pieced signed by President Conley, was this also written by the Washington D.C. $180,000 contract lobbying and PR firm? Did Laura Blakely author it, or just ‘have input’? And under what Board Bylaw is the Bd. Secretary the officer that is responsible for official communications? (opps – just because she signed it as “a member” and the piece was ghost written by a PR firm under contract / reporting to the Office of Superintendent … )