Fewer than half of the high school students statewide scheduled to graduate in 2004 have passed both the English language arts and mathematics portions of the California High School Exit Exam. Arcadia High School sophomores who took the test last year had the strongest showing in the local area with 89% of the 738 students tested passing math and 88% passing English.
Many public schools in the west San Gabriel Valley have new teachers and administrators. Arcadia Unified welcomes more than 30 new teachers and a new principal at Arcadia High School.
The Arcadia High School tennis season has been perfect, and the 18-0 Apaches hope to keep it that way when the CIF Southern Section Division II team playoffs begin.
Due to heavy smoke from the Williams Fire in the Angeles National Forest, schedules at schools were cut back including the postponement of the tennis and water polo matches at Arcadia High School.
Incumbents Maryann Gibson, John McClain, and James Romo, are the only candidates so far to request school board candidacy papers. Forms must be filed by Jan. 17.
The state Department of Education has revised its Academic Performance Index rankings. Arcadia Unified School District revisions were: Baldwin Stocker Elementary from 4 to 7; Highland Oaks Elementary from 7 to 8; and Holly Avenue Elementary from 8 to 7.
The Arcadia School Board after a two-hour closed session decided that Foothills Middle School music teacher Sandra Ragusa - who resigned but then quickly changed her mind - could not have her job back.
The Apache Pit, a new after-school teen center in the heart of the Arcadia High School campus, is funded and operated by the school district and Arcadia's Youth Services Coordinating Council. The project opened in mid-October.
Arcadia Unified School District ranked among the top performers in LA County by the Academic Performance Index ratings. AUSD received an overall rating of 826 out of a possible 900 points.
Arcadia schools start on Tuesday, Sept. 2 along with other area schools. Due to state budget cuts students in the Arcadia Unified School District will no longer be buses to school for free. Enrollment for Arcadia 9,720.