The Arcadia Board of Education has adopted a $63.9 million General Fund budget for the coming year. The budget contains reductions across the board, with 10% cuts at schools, a reduction in categorical programs and no cost of living increase from the state.
Immediately after passing a balanced budget of $25.4 million, the Arcadia Board of Education eliminated another $265,854 worth of jobs from the district payroll to help provide pay hikes for district employees.
Budget cuts have caused the Arcadia Unified School District to rely on the Arcadia Educational Foundation to provide summer classes from sports to cooking and English and Math.
The Arcadia city budget of $35.8 million for the 2003-2004 fiscal year was unveiled and will be the subject of a public hearing June 14. City Manager Bill Kelly called the spending program "flat line," with only 1.5 new city jobs in the coming year. Kelly said Arcadia is protected from possible cuts to meet state budget uncertainties because of $6 million in reserves, which were earmarked but never spent in a previous budget. The city is safe for at least the next two budget years.
The Arcadia City Council has approved a $46 million budget for fiscal year 2009-2010. The city made deep budget cuts across the board, including freezing positions and cutting employee travel. The budget includes roughly $2 million in cuts and concessions from all four city employees' unions, and projects about $45.1 million in estimated total revenues, $45.7 million in proposed expenditures, and $270,000 in employee compensation and benefit deferrals.
In the transition to the new federal No Child Left Behind Program, the Arcadia Board of Education is losing money and is being forced to cut the number of English language instructional aides in elementary school.
Survival-of-the fittest strategies have swept City Hall, where employees fearful of looming budget cuts are waging campaigns against their colleagues and other departments in an effort to protect their jobs.
The City of Arcadia faces mid-year budget cuts as the state has its own budget problems. Arcadia will have to sustain a $2.9 million cut this year, a loss of funds that comes from vehicle license fees.
A package of new and increased city service fees designed to eliminate a potential budget shortfall will take effect on September 1, 2008. The higher fees are expected to bring Arcadia nearly $512,000 in the new fiscal year, by increases in fire services, swim classes, business licenses, plan checks and library services.
Arcadia Unified School District has faced the reality of mid-year school budget cuts for the past 3 years. To prepare for a possible fourth year of mid-year cuts, the AUSD school board is exploring the option of a parcel tax, an amount to raise hopefully a few million dollars that would help offset what the State is expected to take away. Arcadia School Board Vice President Joann Steinmeier and colleagues are investigating the need for a parcel tax and what form it might take to get passed at the March election.
A series of spending cuts totaling nearly $190,000 have been approved by the Board of Education in an effort to balance the School district's $28 million 1988-89 budget.
In order to give Arcadia teachers an already agreed-upon 6% raise, the Arcadia Board of Education voted to approve cuts of $50,000 from other portions of the budget.
Dr. Ed Ryan, district superintendent, told the Board of Education that the teaching staff in the Arcadia School District must be reduced next year by 30. There are several reasons for the cut, including decreased enrollment and lack of funds. Plans for that reduction and the position of the Arcadia Teachers Association are discussed.