http://www.pusd.us/
The report from Edwin Diaz is online here: http://www.pusd.us/
It is scheduled for final action by the Board of Education at its meeting tonight, Tuesday, November 16 at 5:30 p.m. at McKinley School Auditorium. It is an open meeting so public comment is welcome.
There have been many public meetings regarding these closures and the committee included a parents, citizens and more from across the PUSD community who reviewed all options and made their recommendation to the supervisor.
It was not easy.
I am a proud parent of PUSD schools. My son and daughter attended throughout their school years. My daughter is now at Marshall Fundamental. My son graduated last year, in a class with multiple valedictorians! He is now studying physics at UC Santa Barbara, rated top 5 for physics (along with MIT, Harvard, Princeton and UC Berkeley). He is doing well. So PUSD schools prepared him well for his college career. My daughter is a Junior, beginning to take her SAT's and look at colleges. Her path will be towards liberal arts and again, there are options for her to explore and study at Marshall in her field of interest.
So it is with sadness to see any schools closed, but I do appreciate the time, effort and work that the consolidation committee put in to make some tough suggestions in an even tougher fiscal environment.
Alice Wessen, Census Tract 4603.01
www.alicewessen.com
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Report No. 18-A Meeting Date: November 16, 2010
BOARD OF EDUCATION PASADENA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
Topic: Approval to Close Loma Alta and Burbank Elementary Schools as of the 2011-12 School Year
District Priority/Strategy: High-Performing, Accountable Organization
I. BACKGROUND:
Due to the impact of the unprecedented loss of state and federal funding and the District’s decline in enrollment, the Board of Education approved budget reductions in December 2009, including the closure of three elementary schools in the 2011-12 school year. As a follow-up, on July 20, 2010, the Board of Education approved Board Report 6-B to direct the Superintendent to form a School Consolidation Study Committee (SCSC) to assist the Superintendent in developing his recommendation to the Board. The Board also took action on August 24, 2010, to set a target date to vacate the District Offices on Hudson Street.
The SCSC was charged with the task of identifying a minimum of three (3) schools for closure, identifying options to relocate the District Office, and submitting a final report to the Superintendent. Then on October 12, 2010, the Board of Education received a report from John Pappalardo, Chief of Finance, stating that the California State budget had finally been passed, providing the district with an increase in funds which led to a Board discussion about the need to close schools in 2011-12. Board members requested to have a public discussion about continuing, modifying or stopping the school consolidation process at the next Board meeting.
On October 26, 2010, the Board of Education considered the school consolidation process and several motions: (1) change the date for the Board to act on school consolidation recommendations to November 16, 2010; (2) approve flexibility to close three schools in 2011-12; (3) exclude Jackson Elementary School from the school closure list, and remove Norma Coombs Elementary School from consideration to be relocated for the 2011-2012 school year and; (4) direct staff to return in April with a detailed feasibility study for the relocation of District Office.
RECOMMENDATION: The Board of Education approve the closure of Loma Alta and Burbank Elementary Schools as of the 2011-12 school year.
II. SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
The School Consolidation Committee: representing a diverse group of stakeholders from Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre, began meeting September 1, 2010 and submitted their recommendations to the Superintendent on October 21, 2010. During the committee process, nine (9) public hearings were held and two (2) community forums were conducted, allowing the public to provide their input regarding school closure. The committee reviewed and analyzed a broad range of information including; the facilities master plan, asset management report, demographic studies, enrollment statistics, operating costs for schools, transportation data and programmatic information. I want to thank the members of the School Consolidation Committee for their participation in this important and transparent decision-making process and for their thoughtful recommendations.
III. SUPERINTENDENT RECOMMENDATIONS
In developing my recommendation I relied heavily on the School Consolidation Committee report, and in the final analysis, supported their recommendation to identify Burbank and Loma Alta Elementary Schools for closure. A vast majority of the committee members supported this recommendation. Besides drawing from the School Consolidation Committee Report I also reviewed current fiscal information, the current size of our elementary schools, impact on students, families, and staff, programmatic needs, and other considerations including the closure of schools not recommended by the SCSC.
IV. WHY CLOSE ANY SCHOOL?
The decision to close any school is difficult and emotional for everyone involved: students, parents, teachers and staff. But given the current and future realities of public education in California and Pasadena Unified School District I believe the following facts support my recommendation to close two schools in 2011-12.
FISCAL IMPACT
- Pasadena Unified School District has cut over $32 million over the last two years. Important programs and services have been reduced or eliminated. Our current budget projections call for $8 million in further reductions in fiscal year 2012-13. The District has used one time funds; (beginning balance, federal stimulus funds, federal jobs act fund and other grants) to balance our current budget and provide resources for instructional priorities. Compounding this problem is the expiration of furlough days in the next two years. The long term fiscal outlook for public school funding in California is bleak and the state budget recently passed is already reported to be $25 billion in deficit. This will surely result in reduced funding for Pasadena Unified School District.•
- EFFECTIVE RESOURCE ALLOCATION
As our available funds continue to shrink, we can no longer afford to support schools with very small student populations. Loma Alta has 185 K-5 students and Burbank has 319 K-5 students; 268 students without the Dual Immersion Program.
In LA County, similar sized school districts, such as Baldwin Park, Lynwood, Alhambra, and San Gabriel operate elementaries within a range of 400-700 students. Neighboring districts, including San Marino, South Pasadena, Glendale and Arcadia also have an average elementary school enrollment of 500-700 students. Even with the recommended closures, Pasadena Unified will continue to offer much smaller, more intimate learning communities for our elementary school students than most districts throughout the region and the county.
The savings from school closures can be used for other critical needs: CSR, library services, summer school, extended instructional time, counselors, school budgets, etc. All programs or services we reduced during the 2010-11 school year. However, in reality, the savings from school closures will result in the District not having to make a similar amount of program reductions in the future.
- BOARD POLICY (RESOLUTION #1962)
On July 1, 2008 the Board adopted a resolution to signal its commitment to streamline the grade configuration process and establish standards for school size. The model school guidelines adopted as part of the resolution included elementary school size of 400-700 students.
- PROGRAM/INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY
Ensuring that students from any school scheduled for closure have access to a high quality instructional program has always been of primary concern to me. As mentioned before, even with the closing of two schools, students will still have access to a small, personalized learning environment. My recommendation also includes assigning resident area students to high performing schools as measured by API scores. Every school receiving students from a closed school has a variety of partnerships and programs available to meet the diverse needs of our student population.
- SCHOOL PROXIMITY/CHOICE
Providing schools located throughout the district and supporting choice for families was a primary consideration in my review.
The closure of Loma Alta and Burbank will impact all students attending those schools however, less than two hundred resident area students will be reassigned to a new neighborhood school. And because a high number of students attend through the another school.
V. LOMA ALTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECOMMENDATIONS
Loma Alta’s current enrollment is 185 (K-5 students) and has been declining. Loma Alta is the smallest school in the District. Thirty percent of resident area students attend Loma Alta and demographic projections indicates that number is likely to decrease. Loma Alta’s API score is 692. Specific recommendations include:
• Close Loma Alta Elementary School effective with the 2011-12 school year.
• Continue to offer the LA Up County Pre-school program and investigate expanding pre-school and other early childhood education programs at the Loma Alta site.
• Revise Loma Alta’s attendance area and assign students to Franklin (API 786) and Altadena Elementary (API 755).
• Implement the mitigation measures recommended by the School Consolidation Committee to ensure smooth transition for students, families and staff. Included in these mitigation measures is priority in the Open Enrollment process.
VI. BURBANK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECOMMENDATIONS
Burbank’s current enrollment is 319 (K-5 students). Without the Dual Language Immersion (Mandarin) program enrollment falls to 268 (K-5 students) making Burbank one of the smallest schools in the District. I am recommending the DLI (Mandarin) program be relocated to Field Elementary School for programmatic reasons. Thirty three percent of resident area students attend Burbank and demographic projections indicate that number is likely to decline. Burbank’s API score is 777. Specific recommendations include:
• Close Burbank Elementary School effective with the 2011-12 school year.
• Determine the recommended use of the school site during the same time frame as the District Office feasibility study (April 2011).
• Revise Burbank’s attendance area and assign students to Longfellow Elementary (API 817) and Webster Elementary (API 848)
• Relocate the Dual Language Immersion (Mandarin) program to Field elementary School.
• Implement the mitigation measures recommended by the School Consolidation Committee to ensure smooth transition for students, families and staff. Included in these mitigation measures is priority in the Open Enrollment process.
VII. SAVINGS
Anticipated savings of on-going general fund revenues are estimated between $400,000 to $450,000 per school per year. There will be some relocation costs and we may experience a loss of ADA (Approx. 6% based on the last round of school closures). Estimated savings in the 2011-12 school year and following two years equal $2.3 million.
Originator: Edwin Diaz, Superintendent
Pasadena Unified School District
Board of Education Agenda: November 16, 2010
Prepared by: Edwin Diaz, Superintendent
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