Voters support an end to School Reform Commission

CITY VOTERS approved abolishing the School Reform Commission and answered "yes" to each of three other questions on the ballot in yesterday's election.

The vote to abolish the SRC won't elicit any immediate action, said City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, who sponsored the ballot question - and also won the Democratic primary for re-election to her Council seat.

"This gives us a chance to talk about it with the governor," Blackwell said of the SRC question in a phone interview before the results were known.

"People feel they need a more-connected board," possibly including relatives of students in the district, she said.

Blackwell also sponsored a ballot question on creating an independent Commission on Universal Pre-Kindergarten, which would have 17 members appointed by the mayor and Council and work on funding and implementing pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds without reducing existing funding for education. The commission would send a funding strategy to Council each year until one is adopted.

Also approved yesterday was a Commission for Women, a ballot question sponsored by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown. It would focus on equal opportunity for women in employment, payment and education and make recommendations on women's issues to the mayor and Council.

Voters also approved Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez's question requiring all city agencies to adopt a plan to promote access to city services for residents with limited proficiency in English. After a 2008 executive order from Mayor Nutter, all agencies that report to the Mayor's Office were required to revamp their approach to language accessibility. The passing of Sanchez's question would require such plans from Council and the District Attorney's Office, among others.