Ask most people what makes Campolindo exceptional, and they'll point to test scores, college acceptances, or a beloved teacher. However, few people know what makes those things possible in the first place: a patchwork of local funding that exists because state and federal dollars alone don't cover the cost.

Campolindo is consistently ranked among the top high schools in the state - and is number one in Contra Costa County - but it receives less state and federal funding per student than roughly 92 percent of California high schools. Our community has shown that it values public education by filling the gap between state and federal funding through local parcel taxes and contributions to the Moraga Education Foundation. That is the actual cost to educate a student in Moraga. It takes both.

But there have been no new parcel taxes to support our high schools in 16 years. And modest increases in state and federal funding have not kept pace with rising expenses. After years of operating with a structural deficit, the Acalanes Union High School District (of which Campo is a part) has had to cut $4.2 million over the last two years, resulting in fewer counselors, fewer class offerings, and only one librarian shared by all four high schools - essentially, less of what makes Campolindo great.

But we can do something about it. On November 3, you can vote YES for Campolindo by voting YES on Measure W. Measure W will raise $5.5 - 6 million per year for our high schools, protecting advanced science, technology, engineering, and math programs, attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers, maintaining manageable class sizes, continuing Career Technical Education, preserving arts programs, keeping classroom materials current, providing academic support, and restoring positions already lost to budget cuts.

Moraga has shown how much it values public education. In fact, our community recently voted to support our TK-8th grade schools by passing Measure I with over 70 percent of the vote. But what people might not know is that not one penny of that money goes to Campolindo or any local high schools.

Here’s the bottom line: Measure W is $168 per parcel, per year, for 8 years – no inflation adjustment, just one predictable amount. A senior exemption is available, no funds go toward administrator salaries, ALL funds stay local and can’t be taken by the state, and there will be Citizens’ Oversight and mandatory independent audits. For less than 50 cents a day, our community can preserve strong property values, keep attracting new families, and ensure students who grow up in Moraga get the best possible start in life.

Our high schools are a great investment: they spend less than and outperform almost all other high school districts in the state. Measure W and MEF fundraising are two parts of the same effort: they show that our community values excellent public education and help ensure Campolindo can maintain the excellence that we expect, and that benefits all of Moraga.