I disagree with Ed Socha’s opinion in his 6/27/25 article.

I spent over 30 years as an elected board member (fiscal hawk) at Weatherly. One fact I learned (it took a lot of digging with nothing but resistance from the Admins) is that the budget process is nothing more than their (never enough funding) “smoke and mirrors” annual plea in public education!

Take a look at any school district’s AFR over a 10 year period; compare budgeted revenues/expenditures with actual revenues/expenditures year by year and the evidence pours out on the table top! They over budget and tax us for; yet, underspend repeatedly while pocketing the excess (overtaxed) dollars! (COVID 2019-22 federal slush funds years do not represent the routine).

The WASD School Board decreased tax millage by 10 mils (in 1996-97) — the Supt (Makuch) resigned over it. She returned as Supt several years later for a second go of it …! That 10 mil decrease did no harm financially to the district going forward. It did help expose their financial hardship hypocrisy though.

I am 100% supportive of those brave LASD Board members who are making the right decisions to “tax for what you need …” and return the rest; because the district taxes us all every year. Congratulations to Beers, Dellecker, Glausch and all who voted to return overtaxed revenues back to the source.

Thank you!

Gerry Grega

Weatherly