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Action 4.2: Build Public Awareness of the Challenges Facing Local Schools and the Potential Benefits of Improved School Quality The City should seek to build an awareness on the part of the public. including local businesses, about the challenges that schools face in educating a diverse student population with the limited resources that are available through the public school finance system. In addition, the City should work to communicate to the public the value of improving local schools. For example. the City could publicize the findings of the recent residential real estate study prepared for the Cite that indicated school quality was a major factor in determining the desirability (and by extension. value) of residential real estate. B� communicating these messages to the public, the public will be more likely to support initiatives to improve local school quality. Periodic meetings involving representatives from schools, the City, and the Chamber of Commerce should be held to discuss topics of mutual concern. An important opportunity for collaboration among these groups could involve efforts to increase school funding through a local school bond measure at some point in the future. ` Roles and Responsibilities. City staff should work with the San Leandro Unified School District's Liaison Committee and representatives from the San Lorenzo Unified School District to form a working group comprised of representatives of the school boards. the City Council. EDAC, and the Chamber of Commerce. This committee. which builds on previous work conducted by the City and the San Leandro Unified School District. should hold discussions to identify potential areas of cooperation between the parties and to then chap a course of action for the school districts. the City, and the Chamber to collaborate on implementation to meet the objectives of this action. As pan of this effort. City staff should also coordinate efforts with the public information offices from both school districts y to ensure that anmessages going to the public are clear and consistent. In addition. such communication could help identify new ways in which the Citv and the districts could collaborate. Priority: HIGH Costs and Sources of Funding. The City's costs for participation in this will be primarily in -kind staff time. and also time dedicated by the City Council's representatives on the working committee. Based on this level of involvement, the City's costs for this action would be LOB'. Regarding implementation costs for specific projects. the goal of this action should be to utilize resources volunteered by businesses wherever possible, with in - kind contributions also provided by the school districts wherever possible: however. depending on the City's involvement annual costs could rise to MEDIUM or greater. Improving Community Amenities `, 6 58