Martinez School Board Takes on Pot

The is meeting Monday evening to discuss, among other topics, an early look at next year’s budget. After consecutive years of huge cuts, the prospect of losing only $20 per student counts as good news. Of course, Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to trim only 0.04 percent from the state’s K-12 budget hinges on putting a $12 billion tax extension on the June ballot.

One would think that an ongoing budget crisis combined with the regular business of a school district would be enough to keep the board busy. But on the agenda for Monday’s meeting is an item that inserts the school board into the cannabis dispensary debate now taking place at City Hall. The MUSD’s governing board isn’t alone in expanding the borders of its purview. The Berkeley City Council, for example, has spent hours (perhaps days) over the years debating foreign policy. Given how contentious the has become, it’s easy to imagine that a large portion of Monday’s school board meeting will be about cannabis, not education.  

What do you think? Should Martinez Unified’s school board chime in on cannabis? Or, should the board stick to matters directly affecting students? Would a cannabis dispensary in town affect students?