Beach Cities: Education and Real Estate Prices

Good schools and home prices seem to go together...Next Tuesday all the Beach Cities are holding elections for members of the local school boards. Too often many residents decide that if they don't have children in school there is no reason to vote.... they are wrong.

The schools are a very important component in what makes our communities so desirable. Good local schools equate to increased property values. People will pay more for a home in a city with good schools then they will in a city that has poor school performance.

A few years ago Manhattan Beach lost a lot of money because the school board didn't pay attention to construction costs. The board members were all very nice people but they didn't manage very well and the building costs were not only well over budget but the district was in the red for a long time. In the last few years things are back on track but there are still many issues that need to be addressed.

All the school districts in the Beach Cities are facing similar concerns. Some older schools need updating. Many schools need more classrooms or in some cases to be rebuilt. Some districts must consider contracts for employees. There are many issues that need to be addressed by local school boards.

I'm urging everyone of you to make an effort to find out about the issues facing your schools over the next few years. Get information on all the candidates who are running in your city and GET OUT and VOTE! It doesn't matter if you have school age children. It does matter if the school board is in debt, sells off valuable land they may need in the future or doesn't make good choices about funding programs.