Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) Deputy Superintendent Robert Leri has resigned. Arcadia High School Principal David Vannasdall will take on the additional role of Deputy Superintendent March 1 and leave his job as principal at end of school year to become Deputy Superintendent. Other personnel changes within the school district. AUSD is trying to cover a projected $7 million annual budget deficit with a proposed 5-year parcel tax. Arcadia Educational Foundation is doing its annual solicitation.
Individual students and the Arcadia Educational Foundation (AEF) raised about $840,000 for the Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) during its annual appeal last year, enabling the district to reinstate 12 teaching positions. Budget cuts from the state have created "serious challenges" for Arcadia schools over the past 4 years, said AUSD superintendent Joel Shawn.
Arcadia Unified School District's superintendent Joel Shawn writes a column bragging about the many notable accomplishments and achievements of Arcadia High School students during the 2009-2010 school year.
Arcadia gets top marks in county API scores. Arcadia Unified School District has three of the top four highest scoring middle schools on the Academic Performance Index. Foothills Middle School ranked first, tied with Huntington Middle School in San Marino. First Avenue Middle School and Dana Middle School also ranked in the top four in Los Angeles County.
Arcadia Unified School District superintendent Joel Shawn talks about the three Rs of student success, shares observations of both China's and America's student cultures and education systems. He has just returned from a trip to Shanghai, China.
Construction has begun on Arcadia Unified School District's $20 million Performing Arts Center. The 40,000 square feet, state-of-the-art facility is due to open in fall of 2012. It is funded by Measure I.
Arcadia Unified School District has launched new online application for its meals program. For each student that qualifies for free or reduced-priced meals, the savings can equal more than $1400 per school year. Under the new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) adopted by the state, school districts will receive additional money for each student that qualifies. Arcadia High School students that qualify can also waive AP and SAT fees, graduation will be free, and get a reduced rate for Grad Night.
In the wake of the firing of Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien, twelve alumni, students and parents, have joined forces in an intensive effort to recall Arcadia Unified School District Board members Cung Nguyen, Kay Kinsler, and Lori Phillipi. The recall petition is headed by Esmond Wei. One issue is a list of O'Brien's alleged CIF violations that Arcadia High School formally sent to CIF officials. According to Wei, Arcadia High School's principal refused to let O'Brien see the letter. Wei said support for O'Brien is growing. See also p. 8 for related story.
A parcel tax in Arcadia appears to pass. Voters appear to have narrowly approved a parcel tax measure that will raise $3.4 million for the Arcadia Unified School District each year for the next five years, according to preliminary results. If the outcome is finalized, property owners would pay $228 per parcel per year in an effort to stave off additional cuts in the classroom. Measure A, which required a two-thirds vote to pass, was approved by 67.61% of those who voted in the district's boundaries. The vote should be finalized tomorrow.
A Chevron gas station in Arcadia is charging $5.15 for premium gas. Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., has directed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to take emergency steps to increase the state's gasoline supply by selling the "winter blend" early, to bring down fuel prices. Gas prices have skyrocketed over the past week due to a shortage caused by shutdowns at Tesoro and Exxon refineries.
Arcadia Mayor's Breakfast / State of the City and Methodist Hospital update at Community Connections by Joan Schmidt. Mayor Peter Amundson was born and raised in Arcadia and spoke about what a great city it is to live, love, learn and leave a legacy. He spoke about the great Arcadia Public Library with its 42 high tech computers.
Arcadia Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast 2019: we are all Americans in a great city. Columnist Joan Schmidt recaps the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast and City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto’s State of the City Address. Pictured: Kari Helman, Jim Helms and his daughter.
A message supporting embattled former Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien, sent by a concerned parent named Michael Yamane, was forwarded to the police by a school board member. Yamane's email urged the district to reconsider its firing of O'Brien, accuses district officials of abusing employees, lying about a CIF-SS investigation into O'Brien's program, and suggested officials might be breaking state law. Yamane is concerned about his constitutional right to free speech, after his email was forwarded to police. Yamane is also a proponent of the "Recall Arcadia" campaign, which seeks to recall three school board members.
Arcadia High School reported CIF-SS rules violation before firing coach James O'Brien. CIF-SS spokesman Thom Simmons declined to elaborate on the notification. O'Brien's supporters have begun a recall campaign targeting Arcadia Unified School District board members Cung Nguyen, Lori Phillipi, and Kay Kinsler.