As many of you know, I’m a Parent of a Burbank High School Jr and was part of the successful YES On Measure S campaign. I/We also own property in the Hillside area adj. John Muir. It might surprise you to know that Gloria & I are Voting NO on Measure QS, as are many other Parents, Property Owners & Measure S Supporters, incl. former BUSD President Larry Applebaum who lead the Bond campaign. Here’s just a few reasons why we can’t support this Parcel Tax increase at this time:
“THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CURRENTLY HAS A BALANCED THREE-YEAR BUDGET THAT PROVIDES FOR INCREASES IN PENSION OBLIGATIONS” – MATT HILL, BURBANK UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINDENDENT (BURBANK LEADER)
File Photo. * BUSD Superintendent Matt Hill does NOT Endorse or Oppose Measure QS.
“HOWEVER, WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO PROVIDE FOR A COST OF LIVING WAGE INCREASE OR ANY ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS FOR OUR STUDENTS.” – MATT HILL
2. The Tax places an unfair burden on Burbank Property Owners & Renters who are still paying for previous School Bonds (until 2032), while approx 1300 Students who live outside the district pay nothing. Businesses with larger footprints are also disproportionally hit.
3. This Tax will exist in Perpetuity (FOREVER), highly unusual for Parcel Taxes which typically have sunset clauses and need to be reconsidered by voters every 4 -7 years.
4. The Tax does not address future Maintenance needs or extra Classrooms needed to accommodate anticipated demand from Planned Development (1200 Units @ old Ikea site adj. BHS etc.), requiring yet another Bond in a few years.
5. The Funding is NOT SUSTAINABLE & most of the moneywill be used to augment Salaries/Benefits. Having $9M/year that can be re-assigned to any goal “pot” will lead to more BTA demands for Salary/benefit increases, resulting in less money available for Student programs over time. For example, the promised 3% Salary Increase, given annually, would mean that by Year 3, the whole $9M raised would be spent.
6. Obscures the real problem – mandatory Pension obligations imposed by the State. Unlike our City, the School District has always dutifully paid its share of Pension contributions. But because of poor management by the State, our contribution to fund Pensions is increasing to 19-26¢ per Dollar of Payroll; taking money from current students to pay past obligations. Cost-of-Living-adjustments that previously provided money for modest salary/benefit increases are now being used entirely to Fund Pensions.
In conclusion, the proposed Parcel Tax is a band-aid approach to a STATE issue. Political pressure must be brought to bear at the State level to either provide More Funding to the district or Relax the onerous Mandatory Pension payments. #NOonQS#NOmoreTaxes#iLuvBurbank
🏫 Video replay from BUSD Parent Forum on Student Mental Health. BUSD Super Matt Hill leads a timely panel discussion on coping with anxiety, stress, and other mental health issues affecting our students. #iLuvBurbank
Amazing time @ 2017 Night of Magic Fundraising Gala & Dinner @ Pickwick Gardens. Kudos to all the Incredible Performers, BYVAF, Dir. Brett Carroll, MC Sean Holland and everyone who came out to support this wonderful program. FLICKR PHOTO’s | FACEBOOK Album
Video Highlights (handheld) from Saturday Night’s BHS Vocal Singing Corral BBQ Fundraiser feat. In Sync, Impressions, Out of the Blue, Sound Dogs, Sirens & other Special Performances (incl. Jasmine). Great job everyone…Can’t wait for Night of Magic! Check the iLuvBurbank Facebook page for Photos. Enjoy! 🎵 🍴 💘 FLICKR Album | FaceBook
Congratulations to BHS VMA’s In Sync and Impressions choirs for their outstanding performances and results at Show Choir Nationals 2017 this past week! Show Choir Nationals is one of the premier competitions in the entire country, and for In Sync to win for the first time ever, and Impressions to place 2nd were amazing achievements for our program. Everyone had a wonderful time in Nashville, TN! Links: In Sync Nashville FLICKR Photos | Impressions – Hart Encore FLICKR Photos
John Muir Middle School Boosters & Yours Truly are providing FREE HD 1920×1280 Pics from the 2016 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony via FaceBook & FLICKR. These are great for sharing with family & friends on social media & small (4×6/5×7) Prints. Here’s the LINKS:
If you like the pictures, please consider a Donation to JMMS Boosters ($5/photo suggested). Here’s the link to Donate now via PayPal.
If you’d like to order full rez. 5k images for larger prints (8×10/11×14 etc.), please email JMMS Boosterswith the photo(s)ID as listed on FLICKR i.e. “JMMS8Grad16b-27” etc., and we’ll send you the larger images and a link to Donate via PayPal (if you haven’t already). Please allow 2-3 business days for processing your order. Also, DVD’s can still be ordered for $15 here. Check back for sample Video soon!
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