At its next meeting (agenda here) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...
~ Consider approving a resolution that while the district will be able to meet its financial obligations for the current (2023-24) fiscal year (details), BUT due to declining enrollment will likely have to cut millions of dollars starting in fiscal 2024-25. At this meeting the board will consider a resolution saying it "will implement at least $3,640,000 in expenditure reductions in 2024-25 and $2,547,203 reductions in 2025-26" The staff report adds that, "In order to remain fiscally solvent, the District must identify ways to increase revenue and decrease expenditures..." (details).
~ ADDED. Meet in closed session with Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik regarding, "Threat to Public Services or Facilities." No further details are available about this threat.
~ Consider paying PBK Architects $700,000 to "Provide architectural services for the design, approval, and construction administration of perimeter fencing at each of the elementary schools." Details.
~ Consider buying 1,185 Chromebooks for $518,757. Details.
~ Honor March Employees of the Month: Hayde Chahla, Counselor, Bradoaks Elementary Science Academy; Adriana Florio, Custodian, Bradoaks Elementary Science Academy; Amanda Velez Buck, Teacher, Wild Rose School of Creative Arts; Jorge Acosta, Instructional Assistant SpEd, Wild Rose School of Creative Arts.
~ Open House Schedule:
- Canyon Early Learning Center - Thursday, March 28; 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
- Bradoaks Elementary Science Academy - Tuesday, April 23; 6 to 7 p.m.
- Mayflower Elementary School - Tuesday, March 26; 6 - 7:30 p.m.
- Plymouth Elementary School - Tuesday, March 19; 6 to 7 p.m.
- Wild Rose School of Creative Arts - Tuesday, April 16; 6 - 7:30 p.m.
- Clifton Middle School - Thursday, March 21; 6 to 8 p.m.
- Santa Fe CSMS - Thursday, March 14; 6 to 8 p.m.
- Monrovia High School - Wednesday, March 20; 6 to 8 p.m.
- Canyon Oaks HS/Mt. Park School - Thursday, April 11; 6 to 7 p.m.
- Brad Haugaard
It’s time to eliminate some of those admin and pseudo admin positions they’ve added at the district office. Ratio of staff to students at the schools is always taken into consideration but they never make cuts at the district upper management level. Why does a district our size have a deputy superintendent? Check equivalent districts or even larger in the area and you won’t find that position.
ReplyDeleteAsk Debby Collins. She was a deputy super for MUSD too.
DeleteShe also was the Assistant Superintendent of the Human Resource Department as well as the Deputy Superintendent for much larger number district at the time.
DeleteI believe there were hundreds if not at least a thousand more students then.
DeleteDumb people on this site. Deputy super or assistant super. It matters not. Someone has to oversee that stuff.
DeleteThat’s what a superintendent is for. Then there are department directors to handle other things
DeleteThe old ladies of Monrovia with nothing to do have all kinds of crazy ideas about running schools. Same crowd that had Spicer in a landslide. Ignore. Anyway, It would be nice to know what this “threat” is and why it takes a week to discuss it if it’s shack a threat.
DeleteWhat happened to all of the bond money that was approved to be used for the improvements of the school buildings etc. honestly the schools look pretty crappy when compared to Arcadia
ReplyDeleteI have seen some of the bond money put to good use. However, the question is important, Monrovia voted for this bond and less than a year later we are already in financial trouble. Something does not add up.
DeleteI guess Brad didn’t notice the item on page 1 for “Threat to Public Services or Facilities.” WTF is that??? Shouldn’t we know if there is a threat to the schools or district? Why wait until next week to talk about threats? Typical lack of transparency in MUSD. SMH
ReplyDeleteYikes. What is the deal?
DeleteYou are right. I did not notice it, but it is a matter being discussed in closed session, so there is no further information about it, except that involves consultation with the city manager, which suggests it may be something of broader concern than just the schools.
DeleteHmm. I think I will add this to the main story...
DeleteWhere’s the lottery money and house taxes! And all the money you have to pay to the school district when building a ADU!
ReplyDeleteAll I know is that we can't lose any of our wonderful teachers. At my son's elementary school, each class has appropriate numbers in terms of the student/teacher ratio. Our children's success in the classroom will suffer if there are fewer teachers and more students in each class. The teachers are the heroes of every school!! We need to protect them.
ReplyDeleteDebby Collins was Asst Sup of HR for a long time. If she as deputy sup, it was a temporary thing. . We never had that position as a permanent position until King Smith came in and created it to hire his friend. He got rid of any old admin and brought in all his own people. He had a prior relationship with EVERY person who started under him. He did that while the board was updating and creating anti-nepotism policies.
ReplyDeleteMy two cents worth - 1. I do not understand - talk of reducing the budget, then talk about over half a million for chromebooks and almost three quarters of a million, for architectural services to design, approve, construct fencing. That is a million and a quarter right there. As a person who lives within budget, if income is reduced I don't start buying things, I save up for purchases. 2. If there were more home inventory, more tax money would be generated via property taxes. But for new home buyers they are not just facing the home prices/interest rates, but also the ability to get homeowners insurance. 3. Not to advocate pushing people out of their homes, since I am one of those I speak of, perhaps us older people need to consider moving from our large homes and make room for young families. We would gain a simpler life, and make room for the next generation. But that would mean building a community active adults would want to sell their homes for. I would like to leave my home since the older I get the harder home and grounds upkeep become more difficult. But if I am going to stay in this community there needs to be something that makes giving up my home worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteYou do realize you can downsize to a smaller home and carry forward your property tax basis to that replacement property.
DeleteFind a single level condo or smaller sfr
Yes, I know I can carry the tax basis. That was not what I was addressing. In this community there are no communities for active seniors. The last thing I want to do is move out of my lovely home and wonderful neighborhood into a glorified apartment. I want something more.
DeleteNot surprised. I’m thinking about pulling my kids after this school year is over. Our experience has been awful on so many levels!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you.
DeleteWe had bought a house in the district for the language immersion programs, enrolled my oldest, and had a good experience our first year with an amazing teacher who has since left the district. But in the second year, we ended up pulling our son mid-year after new teachers and staff were outright bullying my autistic son because they had no training or education on handling a neurodivergent child.
ReplyDeleteThis breaks my heart as a parent. Also Monrovia Unified school District, Department of special Education have denied parents from getting an IEP evaluation for their kids. these leaders are all about control and power.
DeleteFor those of you that don’t have knowledge of the schools half the chromebooks didn’t work and the company they hired to teach the computer classes didn’t show up the majority of the time.
ReplyDeleteThe catch phrases at each school were humorous.
Art school
Stem
Coding
Etc
Is there a refund?
DeleteMonrovia Unified School district is the worst school district ever. they do not care about our children and families. these leaders in position only care about themselves.
ReplyDelete