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.
City Council has expressed interest in helping bail the school district out of some of its financial problems. There are a number of areas in which the city could provide assistance. One possibility being considered is a June election to determine public support for such action.
Arcadia schools have received $377,665 from the California state lottery and the district expects another, slightly smaller, payment for January-March 1986.
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.
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.
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.
The Arcadia Bond Committee has received nearly $11,000 in donations to help fund its campaign for a $28 million bond measure to upgrade Arcadia public schools.
The Arcadia Board of Education approved an application to the state for a deferred maintenance program to assist with painting, roofing and asphalt costs. The unresolved question is where district matching funds will come from.
If the School Board approves, 1976-77 will be the 9th year that Arcadia has participated in Title I funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Primary usage for these federal funds is on those youngsters who fall below the 50th percentile in achievement tests.
Arcadia School Board members unanimously approved the funds to prepare and file the necessary legal documents to hold a bond election on September 15 that could raise nearly $28 million to renovate the district's classrooms.
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.
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.
Arcadia Unified School District officials prepared for a second try at a bond measure to rehabilitate school facilities by taking a group of seniors to Arcadia High School for a meeting and tour.
On June 14 the School Board voted to spend $23,399 from the general fund to finance a program, formerly funded by Federal monies, for the culturally disadvantaged.
Arcadia registered voters received the second in a series of mailings last week, urging them to vote in the $27.9 million bond election on April 20th. A similar bond measure failed by less than 1% in an election on September 15, 1992.