"What is a student worth? Parents and teachers might balk at putting a price tag on a child, but for public school districts in California, the price is $5,000 per head per year in state funding.
With fewer students—a lost of more than 3,000 since 2004—the Pasadena Unified School District is facing declining income along with declining enrollment. A projected budget deficit of $20 million has resulted in proposed cuts to match. Cuts include faculty, staff, libraries, and athletics.
With fewer students—a lost of more than 3,000 since 2004—the Pasadena Unified School District is facing declining income along with declining enrollment. A projected budget deficit of $20 million has resulted in proposed cuts to match. Cuts include faculty, staff, libraries, and athletics.
The PUSD, which includes Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre, is pushing to get funding from tried-and-true sources, such as a parcel tax on the 70,000 parcels in the district and property leases. It has also come up with less traditional sources, such as charging a fee for home-to-school transportation for regular education students, and a “gift” catalog provided by the Pasadena Educational Foundation, which provides grants to the district."
