Like most of my colleagues across the state, I monitored the results of the Nov. 6 election with great interest. The eventual outcome of the election demonstrates that voters in Santa Clara County and the state of California value and want to invest in the restoration of the world's once preeminent public school system.

The statewide passage of Proposition 30, along with the unanimous endorsement of the numerous bond and parcel tax measures in county districts, further demonstrates that voters are willing to invest in education --even as we continue to climb out of a devastating recession. As a lifelong educator who gleans the greatest satisfaction from service to others, I am grateful for the show of support.

With Proposition 30's success, the threatened drastic cuts of $457 per student this year will not materialize. However, it's important to remember that Proposition 30 essentially keeps 2012-13 funding flat -- that is, consistent with the 2011-12 funding levels-and provides no new monies. The cumulative effect of five years of budget reductions in our school districts forced education leaders working with all stakeholders to make very difficult decisions relative to the allocation of resources to maximize our support of students; the passage of Proposition 30 will not reverse the impact of those decisions overnight.

The state's ongoing cuts to education have left us ranked 46th among the 50 states in K-12 spending per student; 47th in education spending as a percentage of personal income; and last in the number of students per school staff, according to the California Budget Project. This didn't happen overnight and it will take an on-going effort to recapture the funding needed, not just to survive but to thrive. We must continue to build on the momentum of this election and the support of public education to improve the financial health of our education system.

Still, the financial condition of Santa Clara County's school districts is better than many others in the state, thanks in part to sound fiscal planning. The Santa Clara County Office of Education recommended earlier this year that our districts apply worst-case-scenario budgeting for 2012-13, in the event that Proposition 30 did not pass. That conservative approach has placed our school districts in a stronger position.

Although the proposition's passage allows us to give a sigh of relief, we still face fiscal challenges in the year ahead. Notwithstanding, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve you and extend to you, in the spirit of the season, my sincere appreciation for the work you do every day in serving our students. With renewed optimism, we can reinvigorate our efforts to create a public school system in which every student receives the support necessary to succeed in the 21st century workplace, and in life.