The Arcadia Board of Education has been studying the legal status and requirements of driver education. So far driver education has not been offered at Arcadia High School this year.
Since October 1975 a committee of citizens, teachers and
administrators have been studying requirements for graduation from high school. They recommend raising the units needed to graduate from 160 to 170. The School Board will vote on this proposal on April 14.
At the urging of Temple City mayor Lou Gilbertson, State Senator Richardson has set aside his bill SB 1287. It would have reduced petition requirements from the present 25% to just 10% of the registered voters. They want Governor Brown to appoint an Ad Hoc committee to study the whole picture.
Three new laws have been recently passed by the City Council: 1. Noise - aimed primarily to curtail amplified sound. 2. Garage sales - must be held in a rear yard and be able to establish title to the goods. No signs may be placed on public property.
3. smoking - banned in theaters, etc.
Two Federal judges have declined to grant a request for an injunction blocking further construction on Fashion Park. The request had been made by PLAN (People Looking Ahead Now).
Meetings have been held recently to study the feasibility of a new effort to get the community behind an auditorium. Representatives at these meetings have been members of the School Board, activists for the city, and ex-mayor Alton Scott.
The recent Supreme Court ruling which declared California's property tax funding of public education unconstitutional will have its affect of area schools.
The Board of Education approved a $17 million budget for 1979-80, representing an increase of 8.2% over last year. The budget provides an 8.19% increase in salary and benefits for certificated employees. A major problem appears in special education, which the state has not fully funded.
Ruling in favor of the city on Friday, June 8, Judge Richard Hayden said that the lawsuit filed by People's Advocate Inc. & the Arcadia Tax Reform Committee did not have facts sufficient for a legal action. The plaintiffs have 30 days to file and amended complaint.
The local chapter of the California School Employees Association has made an initial proposal to the Arcadia Board of Education. The CSEA chapter is requesting a 21.5% raise in salaries.
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.
Arcadia will no longer be represented on the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees by one member. A new alignment of districts splits Arcadia into two trustee areas.
Senate Bill 275 (Ding Bill), which provides for collective bargaining, binding arbitration, and the right to strike, is causing great conflict between the School Board and teachers in the Arcadia district. The Board has voted 5-0 to support the Winston Act and oppose any State legislation that would replace its provisions. The Winston Act was passed in 1969 and required that School Boards meet and confer in good faith with teachers in determining salary schedules, fringe benefits, and working conditions.
Approximately 110 slides depicting Arcadia's history have been made into a slide show and are now available to check out along with a written narration.