In our community, public schools are more than buildings — they are the drumbeat where kids learn, families gather, and educators show up every day despite growing financial challenges. Like other communities across California, we rely on our public schools to provide stable, high-quality education for every student who walks through that door.
But that stability depends on reliable funding. This is why educators in Ventura are voting Yes on Proposition 3 this November to protect public school funding and keep dollars where they matter most — in our classrooms. This funding has a proven track record, and if funding is lost, the impact would be devastating. We’re talking about $15 billion a year that would be lost for students and schools. In
Ventura Unified alone, $15,810,079 is at risk of being lost if Prop. 3 does not pass. Prop. 3 would have a direct impact on Ventura educators, where, if not passed, 1-in-6 public school educators could lose their jobs.
This means school staff like me, who are key to the day-to-day functioning of schools since we work directly with students, would be cut. Last year, 125 school staff received a layoff notice or were laid off completely, and two years ago, 225 received a layoff notice or were laid off completely. Can you imagine what would happen with losing millions more dollars?
Prop. 3 funds can help keep educators in Ventura Unified and ensure educators are not first on the chopping block. We should be first, not last, on the agenda. Having these funds could also help close the gap in our health benefits and build equity. In our negotiations, the district is proposing a hard cap that would result in a pay cut to our salaries. The district wants us to pay an average contribution of $450 toward our healthcare premiums. For many school staff in lower-paid classifications, on top of working more than one job, this has a massive impact on our daily lives — rent, groceries, etc. The necessities to support our families.
This November, let’s do the right thing and permanently extend this tax on the state’s wealthiest and commit to protecting our public schools from widespread cuts and layoffs across our state. Rising costs of healthcare are already pushing educators out of our district. If we continue down this dangerous road, this means fewer teachers, counselors, larger class sizes, and reduced mental health services for our students.
Prop. 3 is incremental to ensure our kids get the resources they need to thrive in the classroom and be set up for success. Our public schools are already navigating rising costs and uncertainty at the federal level. Adding this type of instability on top of that will only strain our communities, and it would be our students who directly feel that impact.
Families in our community all want the same thing: smaller class sizes, safe campuses, mental health supports, investment in our kids, and a permanent educator in every classroom who can afford to live in the district. None of this is possible without consistent, protected funding.
Protecting public school funding by voting Yes on Prop. 3 means we are serious about every child’s future.
Carol Peek is the President of Ventura Education Support Professionals Association.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Let’s keep schools funded with Proposition 3 | Your Turn
