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Manhattan Beach school leaders warn of funding 'crisis' and urge local support
Summary
MBUSD board president Tina Shiffpuri and Manhattan Beach Education Foundation director Hillary Mayan said the district faces a budget crisis that could trigger layoffs, highlighted that Manhattan Beach receives roughly $17,000 per pupil compared with the state average just over $20,000, and urged fundraising and advocacy to Sacramento.
Tina Shiffpuri, president of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Trustees, used her State of the City remarks to emphasize both the district’s achievements and its fiscal peril. "We have a budget that's in crisis. We're looking and staring... straight in the eye of some pink slips," she said, calling for strategy, advocacy and community support.
Hillary Mayan, executive director of the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, provided historical context on school funding shifts (Prop 13, Prop 98) and compared per-pupil funding levels noted in her slides: Palo Alto (~$35,000 per pupil), the California state average (just over $20,000), and Manhattan Beach (just over $17,000). Mayan said the foundation recently granted over $7.6 million to the district and is pursuing an $8 million grant level and additional parcel-tax options to shore up the district’s budget.
Both speakers described recent advocacy to the state (a delegation to Sacramento) pushing for full Prop 98 funding and noted that shortfalls would reduce classroom staffing. They asked residents and local partners to engage in fundraising, parcel-tax conversations and advocacy to defend local programs and staffing.
