After 2 months of classes, enrollment for Arcadia schools is down 400 from last year at this time. The only enrollment increase has been in grades 4-6.
Overall enrollment for the Arcadia schools was down by 470 on the first day of classes. The drop in enrollment coupled with Prop. 13 has resulted in a very small number of new teachers this year.
Enrollment for 1975 is down about 1200 children for local schools in the San Gabriel Valley. Though stragglers will bring this figure down, school districts are wary.
A hearing was held re the Arcadia Unified School District definition of segregation. The Board's criterion is that a school is segregated only when one minority group exceeds 50% of that school's enrollment.
The Arcadia Board of Education turned down a recommendation to shorten the last week of school at the high school. The recommendation was that for the last week, Monday would be a full day, while Tuesday through Thursday would be half days.
Parents with children in the EMR (Educable Mentally Retarded) program in the Arcadia schools have written letters to the state, county and local school officials outlining the difficulties EMR teachers are having controlling their students without help from aides (lost due to Prop. 13).
Approximately 147 students who have attended Hugo Reid will be transferred to Holly Avenue next year if the proposal is passed by the school board. The transfer and boundary change are designed to alleviate over-crowding at Hugo Reid.
The need for more volunteer aides is cited by District Librarian Mrs. Julie Dresdner. In the last three years, beginning at Camino Grove, library-media centers have been developed and are in operation at all nine elementary schools.
The School Board reversed an earlier decision to order construction of two modular buildings at Holly Avenue School to permit the transfer there of 150 students from Hugo Reid, thus emptying one classroom there for future growth. It may not be possible at this late date to get the necessary work done by September 15.
There will be no summer school in the Arcadia Unified School District due to the passage of Proposition 13 limiting property taxes to 1 percent of the assessed valuation.
Arcadia High School is instituting two P. E. classes for handicapped youngsters this fall. A survey showed the need, so a program has been worked out which will be titled Adaptive P. E. and is designed to strengthen and condition those students.
The School Board and the Administration have debated optimum class size and decided that in any class where there are more than 32 students, a paid aide should be provided to assist the teacher.