Candidate for
Board Member; Tustin Unified School District

Tustin Unified School District Is In Trouble !

The Tustin school board fails to plan ahead and continues to deficit spend. Strong effective leadership is needed to restore our once fine educational system.

Our Students Need...

· Beckman High and Hicks Canyon Elementary schools to be built.

· Existing facilities to be refurbished and properly maintained.

· Spend our money on student's education - not on litigation against students.

· Textbooks to be at schools when classes begin.

· Clear direction on how to improve test scores.

· Quality of the education at Tustin High and Heideman Elementary schools to be immediately improved so that they do not remain on the state's "Watch List" for low academic performance.

Tustin's school board has not made good decisions - resulting in over-crowded schools, lower test scores and broken promises. Tustin's school board needs new ideas and decisive leadership to reinvigorate our District !

Larry Pomatto's Priorities:

· Students First!

· Stop deficit spending. Work within the existing budget.

· Reorganize administration to be responsive to student needs and programs. TUSD has over 1,600 employees, of which 900 are teachers - the other 700 are part of the District's central administrative office. These other people should be decentralized to the various schools, so that they can best support the teachers and students at each school.

· The District's administration has become bloated with senior and middle management type positions that have no direct impact on improving our children's education. These positions should be reviewed to determine their value to the District.

· Cost efficient practices for new construction & facilities maintenance. Larry has the depth of knowledge regarding construction and maintenance to ensure the best use of any funding received from Measure G or Proposition 47. Should these bonds fail to pass, Larry has ideas on how to accomplish these same goals within the existing budget.

· Larry is committed to looking out for the interest of the whole school district, so that all of our students receive a quality education regardless of which school they attend. All of Tustin's school should be of equally high quality, so that students receive the best education.

· Special education has turned into a legal nightmare for both the District and parents, wasting millions of dollars in legal fees and settlements, because the District has been trying to deny and delay services required by law to students with special education needs. The District must establish policies and effective programs to address the legal requirements for our special education students.

· Build partnerships with our community businesses and engage them in meaningful involvement.