The preliminary 1978-79 Arcadia School District budget has been approved. Public hearings will be held in September prior to the passage of the final budget.
Apparent violations of state laws prior to 1978 are costing the Arcadia School District $250,000 at a time when it is already having to squeeze $1 million from its program just to maintain a balanced budget.
Declining enrollment over the past few years has hurt the Arcadia school system financially, since income is based on attendance. The 1984-85 budget totals over $20 million. Last year the school district went $300,000 over budget. Cuts will have to be made to accommodate the finances for the upcoming school year, but they will mainly be made in areas outside the classroom.
About $1 million will have to be chopped from the expenditures column of Arcadia School District's 1987-88 tentative budget if the district wants to ensure an adequate contingency fund and avoid running a deficit. According to Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, Dennis Chuning, this undoubtedly involves staff cuts.
A final tentative budget for the 1978-79 school year has been adopted by the Arcadia Board of Education. The final figure was set at $15.4 million, but will probably be revised as state formulas affect the budget during the year.
City Council unanimously agreed to hold a June election to attempt to bail the school district out of its financial troubles. Proposition A would increase the utility tax by 2%, bringing in $550,000. Proposition B would raise the tax an additional 1% bringing $250,000 more. The funds would be for maintenance of school property and facilities used by the city.
The University of La Verne has agreed to sponsor summer school in Arcadia to take the place of that cut by the passage of Proposition 13. Tuition will be charged.
The Policeman on Campus program will be reinstated in the city's three junior high schools. The program has been inactive for two years due to Proposition 13 cutbacks The city will pay the entire cost of the program - approximately $53,000 for the school year.
With the passage of Governor Deukmejian's cost-cutting state budget, the Arcadia Board of Education will have to find more than $1 million to cut to get down to its estimated $24.2 million income and that, according to Superintendent Stephen Goldstone, probably means some employees will have to go.
It appears residents will have an opportunity to vote in June on whether the city should help the school district with its financial problems. They are trying to reduce the budget by $1.2 million.
In search of $50,000 in additional money for education, the Arcadia Unified School District has kicked off a district-wide energy conservation program in an effort to cut energy usage for each school by 10% compared with last year.
Efforts to put together a working Alumni Association have been given the OK by the School Board. The first meeting will be June 8, 1974. Craig Lucas ('64) is the acting chairman.
An application for state funds to make $8.5 million worth of repairs in 6 Arcadia schools is moving ahead. Funds for the repairs, from the Leroy F. Greene State School Building Lease-Purchase Program, a bond measure, have been exhausted. However, another bond issue, coming up in the June 1990 election, is expected to pass and provide money to continue the program.
The Board of Education has begun deliberations on cutting programs to match the $1.2 million in budget cuts that must be made. Sixty teachers may be terminated. Other possible program cuts are discussed.
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.