Expansion of Career Technical Education and STEM Programs
I support investing in the expansion of CTE programs within our high schools and middle schools. The school district should be partnering with Allan Hancock College and local businesses to establish programs which expose youth to technical careers. Particularly, the district should be approaching the many space transportation companies growing their industry out on VSFB (i.e. SpaceX, Firefly, Blue Origin). These are blue collar jobs that AI will not be able to take away anytime soon.
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Similarly, I support equal investments into STEM programs for all ages. We must not see STEM and CTE programs as separate from one another. They are sister fields with many overlapping occupations – all of which are developing within the space transportation industry.
Forming Strategic Connections With Local Nonprofits
I support creating collaborative and meaningful partnerships with the many nonprofits based in Lompoc. These organizations can be great partners in ensuring our children have healthy bodies and minds. Additionally, our schools should act as the connective tissue of the community. Our schools must do more to stem the violence occurring in our streets and connect families with the resources to combat it in their homes and community.
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This should include facilitating after school programs sponsored by nonprofits which are focused on giving students who cannot go home after school a place to be. Our community will be fostered through the connections made within the school district.
Partnerships With Local Businesses
The school district must find ways to partner with our local businesses, both small and large. Our kids should be encouraged and rewarded to pursue apprenticeships in career fields they are interested in, be they entrepreneurial, vocational, or science and engineering related.
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While there are plenty of small businesses in Lompoc who would love to obtain young labor in exchange for work experience, our city also stands to benefit by partnering with a large corporation such as SpaceX. These groups should be approached for their support in crafting and financing such programs.
Increasing Attendance and Student Retention
Small school districts like ours are primarily funded through the California state budget and local bonds. In order to receive more funding from the state, and thus increase our capacity to provide quality service, the school district must drive enrollment up. Average daily attendance is the most crucial indicator dictating Local Control Funding Formula rates.
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The LUSD budget highlights only one effort to address the attendance issue. However, it does not highlight any specific plans or funding allocations for this strategy or layout a roadmap for the way forward. A comprehensive plan must be established.
Passing a School Bond in 2024
I support the passage of a school bond in 2024. It has been two decades since Lompoc last invested in its schools. You can look at the bond in two ways – some will see it as a simple tax. I disagree. I see the bond as an investment in our kids, community, and economy. School quality is one of the primary factors driving property value and community desirability.
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In order to obtain the kind of facilities our schools will need to house new trades and STEM programs we must make a serious investment. In the last 20 years our schools have begun to fall apart. Classrooms have leaky roofs, are infested with black mold, and electrical issues. They are completely inadequate to house our students. Additionally, state funding does not cover the costs of the repairs needed.
Instituting Budget Stability
The current LUSD budget deficit is unsustainable. Given the projected deficits and decreases in funding, budget reserves can be estimated to run out within the next six years. This does not account for further changes in formula funding or unknown costs of future employee negotiations.
The school district must work to increase budget stability. To their credit, the board has chipped away at the issue. However, no long-term plans have been developed to stimulate growth or ensure sustainably funded investments can be made in the future.
Teacher Recruitment and Retention
It is essential that our district find a way to remain a competitive and alluring option for quality teaching candidates. In my opinion, there are a few ways to go about this.
The obvious solution to this issue is to increase teacher wages and benefits to more competitive levels. However, without more stability in the budget this is not entirely possible.
A second solution is to create an opportunistic environment in which teachers are encouraged and assisted in career development. Such programs can be funded through grants and less permanent spending streams.
A third avenue is to create a pipeline within the Lompoc community itself, encouraging our youth to pursue careers in education right here at home.