Measure EE backfired: What does this mean for the future of LAUSD?
By Meysi Ramon
Measure EE, a bill dedicated to promote the betterment of the quality of public education, backfired. While large masses of people have expressed their disappointment in the county’s voting turnout, the future of LAUSD remains persistent in attempting to improve.
This educational parcel tax was on ballots on June 4, 2019. If passed, Measure EE, would have demanded that property owners pay $0.16 square foot for 12 years. These additional taxes would ultimately have been put to support resources for public schools, such as yearly audits, school modernization, funding for adequate teachers and administrative resources.
The issues surrounding the necessity for quality public education are not foreign to the attention of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Debate has risen over the necessity to raise tax prices for the well-being of education due to the distrust in LAUSD education from past conflicts and scandals.
With cycles embedding into familiarity, the scandals surrounding LAUSD were stemmed from the Chicano Student Movement. During this period of time, LAUSD and public schools faced backlash for supporting segregation and restricting educational opportunities towards Mexican-Americans. As a result, movement occurring in Los Angeles initiated activism through a burgeoning movement. Parents have expressed their concerns over LAUSD “We don’t know where the money is going” states Adela Garcia, mother of LAUSD student at Santee Education.
Nara Kim, 25, is a Campaign Manager at the Korean Resource Center in Koreatown. She’s worked with elders and youth in the area to push for better bills and legislations.
For Measure EE, Kim worked with several community members to canvass and advocate for it.
“KRC really believes in accessible quality of education to improve the quality of these students’ lives,” Kim said. LAUSD needed youth to be more involved and districts to pay more attention. However, due to low voting turnout, Measure EE failed against the favor of LAUSD and students.
“It’s obviously disheartening and disappointing knowing it didn’t pass but this is no means the end,” Kim said. “The 2020 ballot is coming up and everyone has to come together and fight and advocate for larger issues.
Reasons for the failure of Measure EE are given to the community’s lack of acknowledgement over smaller elections and the lack of voting accessibility. Wilbur Lopez, rising senior at Santee Education Complex wrote, “Teenagers don’t even care about school because it’s not even cool and not trending.” “It’s funny everyone only wants to be socially active across the world but not in their own communities.”
Social media’s role in similar legislations and bills are what brings a community together and creates platforms to combat issues. Measure EE has only been one of many backfires that have tested the resilience of LAUSD public education.
For UTLA forces, students and parents, the fight against educational systematic operations continues as the 2020 presidential election approaches.
