DO WE REALLY WANT TO REST ON OUR LAURELS?

By Gregory T. Royston

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD BE STAKEHOLDERS - THEY NEED TO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THE DISTRICT. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY NEED TO HAVE CHILDREN CURRENTLY IN THE DISTRICT. THE BIGGEST ISSUE THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WILL DEAL WITH IS THE BUDGET. WE NEED PEOPLE WHO HAVE FINANCIAL EXPERIENCE AS THEY ARE MAKING DECISIONS ON HOW TO SPEND $80 MILLION.

In a recent LA Times editorial, the subject of which was an endorsement for a candidate in the LA City Council race, I thought the author brought up a very succinct method for evaluating candidates, which was as follows:

"Voters should demand that a candidate offer a coherent critique of the current state of government, a program for making improvements and a convincing argument as to why the candidate's particular experience and talents make him or her the best choice for the job."*

Using this as a barometer, let me make my case as to why the voters in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District should vote for me on November 3, 2009.

First, as for the current state of our schools, I believe that while the reputation is stellar, there are serious hardships and significant challenges that we face, and will for years to come. Our state faces huge deficits, budgetary issues and deteriorating creditworthiness. On the local level, school districts face continued revenue cuts. Our school board, now more than ever, needs members who have professional financial backgrounds and who have a vested interest in our schools. The crisis that we faced last year will most assuredly continue again this year, and for years into the future. Parcel taxes in the past have certainly helped but any new taxes will certainly be hard to come by, as voters will eventually just say no. Continuing the status quo of how we have dealt with the challenges in the past is being called into question as simply not being good enough for our future needs. History has many lessons when it comes to resting on one's laurels.

As for the current status, I believe we are lacking in two key areas: we need members with professional financial backgrounds and members with a vested interest in the our schools. Our school district is a very complex organization with serious financial issues that require professionals who are also stakeholders.

Our school board currently has responsibility to manage a budget of more than $80 million per year. The school district is an extremely complex organization with many thousands of end users (i.e. students, teachers and staff). Analogizing the district to a business, a voter is compelled to ask how many companies that have $80 million of revenue per year are run by people that have no experience in finance, budgets or business? How many of those same companies have owners that do not have a stake in their company's ownership and future? Why should a school district be any different?

Finally, why should voters choose Greg Royston for school board? First and foremost and from a personal point of view, I am a stakeholder. I am a Dad and I have a vested interest in this race as I have two elementary-aged sons who attend a parent-participation school on the hill. From a professional point of view, I am the only person running that has any financial background. I have over 18 years of combined business experience in public accounting, tax, budget and financial analysis for a publicly-traded company, and legal experience. I have successfully run multiple businesses and currently am the managing partner of a law firm. On a daily basis, I have to deal with business, tax and contract law in negotiations with very large and complex organizations on behalf of multiple clients. As a business lawyer, I draft and negotiate deals on a regular basis and work towards structuring the deals to keep parties out of court and away from costly litigation.

I believe I am the best choice for school board. I am a stakeholder with a vested interest. I have the professional, real world work experience. Vote Greg Royston for Palos Verdes Peninsula Unifed School District on November 3, 2009.

• LA Times Editorial, "Christine Essel for City Council", September 12, 2009