Education Reforms

Thank you for your editorial, “Educational Reform: Powerful Engine of Economic Growth” (Dec. 2). All of us must be concerned about the decline in budgets, programs and opportunities in our public schools. Critical to any reform, though, is Assembly action on ACA 6.

People are surprised to learn that New York spends twice as much per child as does the state of California on public schools. New and better schools simply cannot be built in the face of the growing population with its correspondent burden on schools. Schools face a Catch-22 in new bond issues. Because of the lack of funding spawned by Proposition 13, programs have been cut back and building maintenance consumes school budgets.

But these are difficult economic times, and people “vote their pocketbooks.” A majority vote for local bond issues is the only immediate solution. The state will not recover quickly enough. The Legislature must act promptly to ensure that ACA 6 is on the June ballot. Then, let the people decide what they want.

THOMASINA M. REED, Vice President, Inglewood School Board