Dear neighbors, friends, and community leaders,

Two months ago, I reached out with an update on Budget, Cell Phone Policy, and AI Policy. Today, I am writing to ask for your help. As a candidate, I promised to listen first, ground decisions in research and data, and practice strong stewardship of our school budget to ensure every choice supports student success and long-term sustainability. As an elected official, I need your voice to ensure this continues.

TL;DR version: As our City Council deliberates on the FY2027 budget, I am asking you to reach out to Council directly to express your support for prioritizing funding for our schools. School funding is nearly entirely dependent on city allocation (over 80% of our funding comes from city sources). Last December, the City Council advised the schools that economic uncertainty meant we all should plan for a down year. The School Board responded with a restrained, bare-minimum budget proposal that leaves several critical needs unfunded.

We now know that city revenues this year strengthened, not declined. On Monday night, City Council indicated preliminary support for continuing to honor its agreement to equally share increased revenues between the City and our schools. I support this approach because it reflects a thoughtful effort to balance competing priorities while maintaining trust and predictability in our partnership.

However, this outcome is not set in stone; City Council is still considering other options. If the revenue-sharing agreement is not honored, important school needs will go unfunded this year, including key positions that directly support students. The reality is that school needs not met this year will not disappear; they will be deferred to the future. Sharing your perspective with the City Council now helps ensure schools' needs are fairly considered in these important budgetary decisions.

Please ask City Council to (sample letter template linked):

1. Fund our schools at a level that maintains current services for students at a minimum.

2. Continue a predictable, shared approach to allocating revenues through the revenue sharing agreement.

3. Be transparent about any tradeoffs that reduce student support.