This is about true love, you could not ask for a more noble cause than that… The first day I spent with the woman who I would eventually marry and raise a family with ended at the Santa Monica pier. We were on an orientation trip about to start our freshman year at Pomona College and we wanted to go to the beach. Four years later after graduation we made plans to return and make Santa Monica our home. I remember sitting on the floor of the dining nook in our unfurnished, newly-leased apartment to have a picnic. We put down roots here that continued to grow over the next 18 years; but sadly we’ve said goodbye to many of our friends as they’ve left Santa Monica due to rising costs or to get more space to start their families. Despite facing the same choices, and getting less for our money, we’ve stayed because we love it so much. It must be true love, because it’s such a struggle.
The numbers tell a stark story about what is happening to our neighborhoods. Children under 18 make up only 14% of our city’s population, compared to about 22% in neighboring Los Angeles, and our share of children under 10 is lagging significantly behind the surrounding areas. People have rightfully noted the 25% decline in our school enrollment over the last decade, but we cannot separate that decline from the fact that housing costs have doubled during this timeframe.
Housing is only half the battle. Childcare costs have dramatically outpaced inflation, nearly doubling in the last twenty years. In my own family, the cost of daycare at the exact same center for our second daughter is 30% higher than it was for our first, who is just four years older. I have spoken to countless local families who are currently paying more for childcare than they do for rent.
So why do we endure the struggle? Because the payoff is the vibrant, diverse community we get to be a part of. I have the privilege to walk my daughter to school every day. We love her teachers. We can walk to the local park and play with kids from our neighborhood. Our friends come from all over the world, bringing a rich diversity of cultures, and many of our daughters' friends are bilingual. That is a community worth holding onto.
And this is why my family and I have made the difficult choice for me to run for the SMMUSD School Board. As the adage says, if you don’t have a seat at the dinner table, you must be on the menu. I am running for the SMMUSD Board of Education to be the voice that supports working families, because right now, we are missing from the table. Of the current board, who have a sum total of 73 years serving and an average tenure of over 10 years, there is only one member with children still attending school in the district. If elected, I would be the second, and crucially, the only member with elementary-aged children.
If we want to support families in Santa Monica, we need to build a school district that actually works for them. If elected, I would prioritize the following:
1. Affordable After Care for All: We need a school board policy that assertively supports working families and acknowledges the absolute necessity of after-school care. LAUSD has already acknowledged this need and is aiming to provide a full day of coverage for working families. While SMMUSD has programs in place, they are very expensive and simply do not have enough space for everyone who needs them.
2. Safe Routes to School: It is incredibly stressful for parents to start the day dealing with frenzied drop-off scenes and near-fatal misses in crosswalks. SMMUSD needs to commit to deep collaboration with the City of Santa Monica on creating safe routes to schools with safe landing zones around the gates. The recent Waymo incident at Grant Elementary was a wake-up call. That status quo is going to lead to a tragedy.
3. Green and Healthy Campuses: We need to support open spaces and green spaces at our schools, because every child deserves a place to play. Many families rely on the school grounds as their primary park. But the current board is reducing open space and eliminating green spaces. LAUSD has a goal that 30% of their schools need to have green spaces; SMMUSD is moving in the opposite direction and needs to adopt a similar policy goal.
4. Excellent STEM for All: Lastly we need a school board that understands the role of technology in our modern world. From my work on the Board of a non-profit that provides technology education to students from under-estimated communities, I understand how these opportunities are critical to ensure every child can reach their potential. I have spent my career on the innovation side of the technology industry, giving me a clear view of how our modern labor force is rapidly evolving. I support a slow-tech policy in our schools, because you don’t need to teach a kid how to use an iPad. To prepare our kids for what's next, we need to bolster the high quality education SMMUSD offers with more support for STEM learning, including extracurricular activities, and make them accessible to every student regardless of income level.
There is so much we can accomplish together, because there is nothing that can stop true love, it can only be delayed for a little while. I look forward to hearing your stories and how the school board can work better to support your family. It would be my honor to earn your support.
By Harry Leshner, Candidate for SMMUSD Board of Education