As a parent of a child in the Monterey Peninsula school system, I thought I knew about the condition of our schools because of the many hours I’ve spent volunteering in the classroom over the last five years.

I knew that the teachers and kids were sorely lacking in access to technology. I knew about the sinkhole in the middle of the Bay View Elementary playground, about the scary drop-off and pick-up traffic pattern in the neighborhood. Old boilers overheat the classrooms, forcing you to open the windows, if the windows open at all. Hot lunch is delivered from Seaside High because there is no stove or counter space for food preparation. Scattered around the campus you’ll find ancient portable classrooms, overcrowded with children and lacking critical equipment like sinks and running water to facilitate art projects and science labs.

It’s amazing what you can get used to.

It wasn’t until I went to all 23 of the district’s campuses that I understood the scope and magnitude of the problem. I discovered that there were 30 computers in a closet because the Monterey High classroom they were destined for did not have enough electrical outlets.Seaside High has the bandwidth capacity of three residential households to serve more than 1,000 students. In all 23 of our buildings, leaking roofs and 50-year-old windows and doors contribute to high utility bills, drawing money away from critical programs and teachers. Lead paint. Asbestos. I could go on and on.

That’s why I am voting yes on Measure P: to help give local students the education they deserve.

LEAKING ROOFS AND 50-YEAR-OLD WINDOWS AND DOORS CONTRIBUTE TO HIGH UTILITY BILLS.

By passing the bond measure, local taxpayers will support local kids in Peninsula schools to the tune of $110 million. Measure P will provide vital school repairs and upgrades, renovating aging schools and classrooms and supporting our highly qualified teachers with up-to-date technology. Measure P can also generate significant long-term savings to the general fund. By making energy-efficient repairs and cutting costly utility bills, we can redirect general fund dollars to the classroom. Work could begin almost immediately, in early 2011.

Measure P creates an independent stream of revenue to repair and upgrade facilities – money the state cannot take away. Seventy-seven school districts across the state, including Humboldt, Santa Clara and Santa Barbara, are putting similar measures on their ballots this year.

Much work has been done to ensure that Measure P revenue will gowhere it is needed most: straight to our facilities. There are multiple safeguards to ensure funds are used properly. An independent citizens’ oversight committee and annual public audits are mandatory. While detractors of the measure worrythat the projects are not specific enough, theFacilities Master Plandeveloped this spring is an exhaustive analysis ofthe needs of the entire school district, site by site. The plan(available at www.yesonp-mpusd.org) uses Measure P funds as strategically as possible,prioritizing projects and suggesting other streams of funding for the work to be done.

The recession, the crumbling state budget and the closing of Fort Ord are just some of the factors that have led to the deterioration of the school district’s facilities. In fact, just in the last three years, $36 million has been cut from the district budget, though the students’ needs remain constant. The state is proving to be an unreliable partner in providing a safe, healthy and modern learning environment.

We cannot wait for the state to update aging classrooms, science and computer labs, disabled-student access, campus security and fire safety. Nor can we wait for the state to provide the 21st-century learning tools and technology our students need to compete in an increasingly complex job market.

The future success of Monterey Peninsula’s students, in many ways, is dependent on the passage of Measure P. With its passage, we support improved facilities for a wide range of students with diverse needs and interests. Educational options on the Peninsula include charter schools, dual-language programs, specialized high school academies, preschools and special-needs programs. Every year, more than 10,500 students are in our classrooms preparing for the future. Each student will experience a direct benefit from the community’s support of Measure P on Nov. 2.

If we vote no, our schools will certainly continue to degenerate, and our students will continue to suffer in sub-standard learning environments. By voting yes, we ensure our local schools are restored, our students thrive, and we all enjoy the benefits of a community that invests wisely – in its children.

ELIZABETH PANETTA is a parent and clerk/vice-president of the MPUSD Board of Education, Trustee Area 3.