It’s no secret that California schools, once first in the nation, have suffered over the years from the effects of Proposition 13. Yet, the demands of our modern service and technology based society march on. Students who are not educated in the best possible way are at a disadvantage when competing in the worldwide economy.

In 2002, under the leadership of Superintendent John Deasy, the SMMUSD created an education Strategic Plan. Since then, this has been elaborated to include a Special Education Strategic Plan and an Arts Plan. To realize these visions, Dr. Deasy has now endorsed creating this Facilities Master Plan. The goal here is to make concrete these seven initiatives of the Strategic Plan:

1. Abundant resources—providing the best in resources for all children within the District by increased funding.

2. Curriculum—making certain that what is taught fulfills a standards-based instructional system.

3. Differentiated Instruction—providing the specific kind of instruction that each student requires, including attention to a wide variety of learning and teaching modes.

4. Equity and Equality of Education—allowing for quality instruction for all students in all neighborhoods, especially those of lower socio-economic status, students of color, students with disabilities, and for other students who have experienced marginalization.

5. Schools as Community Centers—permitting school facilities to be accessed by all children and families for a wide range of culturally appropriate services that promote academic and personal excellence.

6. Optimal Class Size—keeping the size of each classroom useful for the highest standards of learning within each year of school and for each subject.

7. Universal Access to Quality Early Childhood Education, Family Support Programs, and After School Care—providing children age 3 and up with access on a voluntary basis to a range of programs that will foster school readiness and providing before-school and after-school care programs for children.