“If we were to only come and tell you that we were able to maintain all of those programs, we were able to maintain all of our counseling with one of the lowest ratios of counselors to students in the state and that we were able to maintain class size reduction, those would be phenomenal accomplishments,” Superintendent James Stratton said. “But even with that we have gone above and beyond.”
LCSUD has been struggling to maintain its balance sheets after being slammed with multi-million dollar cuts authorized by the California Legislature amid the state’s financial crisis. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most recent budget slashes an additional $1.2 billion, or $201 per student, from school district revenue limits starting next school year. LCUSD stands to lose $900,000 annually as a result.
Nevertheless, due to careful management the school district remains financially solvent well into 2012, assistant superintendent Wendy Sinnette said.
“L.A. County requires that the districts certify their budgets for three years out,” Sinnette said. “As of our first interim budget, La Cañada Unified School District’s budget was certified with the county through 2011-12. We also, with the 2009-10 budget, are currently maintaining a 3.5% reserve.”
Among the district’s ongoing priorities highlighted in the presentation was the integration of technology into classroom learning and teacher development, as well as internal and external district communication. The high school guidance website now includes the counseling guidebook, calendars, timetables and testing information, officials said. Teachers can also seek additional training and support via the Internet.
