Mission statement restricts use of city funds

Mission statement restricts use of city funds

For the record and in response to one or more of the recent Letters to the Acorn, anyone who has followed all of the Calabasas Education Fund meetings since our inception knows that all of its members, myself included, have either repeatedly expressed or approved the ideal, desire and shared vision to try and come up with a plan to elevate all of the schools within the district.

However, because we are accountable to and bound by a mission statement which restricts the use of city funds to the schools located within our boundaries, we have repeatedly encouraged each of our sister cities to follow our lead and set up their own education fund so that eventually we can all work together on a level playing field of financial commitment for the betterment of all schools within our district. In speaking with members of the Calabasas community who have approached me on this issue, I believe that this is a sound and fair policy for now.

However, I would encourage all of the citizens of Calabasas to attend our next meeting on March 10 to express their desire on whether we should amend our mission statement to allow us to spend Calabasas tax dollars on schools outside our community. Or, whether we should stay the course and continue to fund our schools, yet remain willing partner to any other city in our district willing to share the cost equally for the mutual benefit of all.

Ron Rosengarten

Calabasas