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Health & Fitness

Patch Blog: Concerned About LCUSD Axing Four Instructional Days?

Despite record donations, the LCUSD Governing Board cut four days of school for students next year. Learn more in this post.

The LCUSD Governing Board, with a strong push from LCUSD and the teachers union, recently voted to cut four complete days of school next year, replacing them with four pupil-free days for teachers. The four pupil-free days are NOT a consequence of a weak budget and come on top of the District already funding five pupil-free days each year for teachers. LCUSD will now have a total of 9 pupil free days each year, comprising 5% of the entire number of school days; and more that twice the number of other school districts, such as San Marino with 4, and Manhattan Beach and Arcadia with 1. 

The recent agreement was reached during teacher contract negotiations, and thus parents and the community had virtually no input into this important decision.

Public discontent, much of it documented at www.lcusd.wordpress.com, has led to a discussion time at the next Governing Board meeting, Tuesday, July 12, 7:00 p.m. at the LCUSD headquarters building, 4490 Cornishon Avenue. Parents and the community are highly encouraged to attend this meeting and share concerns with the District and Board.

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LCUSD has provided no written plan for the four pupil free-day program, has no budget, and no place for students to go during these four cut days.

The expanded pupil-free days are scheduled during the middle of week, in hopes that neither parents nor teachers will use the days to create long weekends. Because school funding is based on average daily attendance, if student attendance drops as a result of the added pupil-free days, District funding will drop. A similar District idea at LCHS, the STEP program, had such serious attendance problems that the high school not only formed a STEP Tardy Committee, but also vastly restructured the program, which is now a shell of its former self.

Find out what's happening in La Cañada Flintridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A parent poll, available at www.lcusd.wordpress.com, shows that more than 90% of parents want the four days back, and that more than 30% plan to reduce their donations to schools as a result of the cuts. Two former foundation presidents have signed petitions against the cuts.

July 12 may be parents’ only opportunity to be heard by the Governing Board. For the latest information, visit www.lcusd.wordpress.com. Attend the July 12 meeting, 7:00 p.m., 4490 Cornishon Avenue! Ample parking is available across the street at Lanterman Auditorium.

 

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