Quick Hits: La Cañada Unified makes plans for $75,000 grant
La Cañada Unified School District officials affirmed their commitment Tuesday to preparing all students for college, showing support for a plan to spend a $75,000 state block grant bolstering college readiness among low-income, English language learners and foster youth.
Jim Cartnal, associate principal of La Cañada High, explained there are nearly 60 such students currently enrolled in grades 9 through 12. Over the next few years, the district plans to use the grant to fund professional development for counselors and administrators and increased outreach to heritage PTA groups, such as the district’s Korean Parents Assn.
The money also allows for translation services, when needed, in ELL students’ primary languages, namely Korean, Mandarin and Armenian, Cartnal said. Other strategies will be employed to ensure students in the identified sub-groups are successfully progressing on a path that could lead to college.
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“This plan is going to specifically address how we can continue and augment services to make them more college ready,” Cartnal told board members.
Projected LCUSD budget outlined
In a meeting Tuesday, La Cañada Unified Chief Business and Operations Officer Mark Evans gave school board members a look at what the district’s budget could look like projected out over the next couple of years, delivering the first interim financial report for LCUSD’s 2016-17 budget.
School districts are required by the state to certify twice each year, at the end of October and January, that they are able to meet all financial obligations for the remainder of the fiscal year. Evans updated board members on recent changes, including a slight increase in state revenue due to higher enrollment projections in coming years and the cost of increased employee obligations resulting from recent negotiations.
As such, the district may now account for a 4% salary increase given to classified employees and the increased costs associated with revising its certificated employee salary schedule earlier this year. The interim budget also reflects LCUSD’s setting aside 1% of its total expenditures for deferred maintenance, and an ongoing transfer of $125,000 to help cover increased obligations to funding employee retirement benefits.
The first interim budget is expected to come back to the board for approval before a Dec. 15 submission deadline.
Utility to host landscaping classes
To teach locals how to do more in their home gardens with less water, Foothill Municipal Water District is hosting two free California-friendly landscaping classes, the first of which takes place Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at La Cañada Presbyterian Church, 626 Foothill Blvd., in La Cañada.
Participants in this class — as well as a second Dec. 17 class held at the same time and location whose topics will vary slightly — will learn best practices for creating California-friendly landscaping in their yards. The discussion will be led by instructor Tom Skelton, a member of Green Media Creations.
The classes are free and open to the public. Advance registration can be made online at foothillmwd.wufoo.com/forms/rsvp, or by calling (818) 790-4036.
City to collect bulky trash
La Cañada Flintridge residents looking to dispose of accumulated household items are invited to take advantage of the city’s fall bulky waste pick-up event that will take place from Monday, Nov. 14 through Friday, Nov. 18.
All the trash-hauling firms serving the community will collect discarded items — including furniture, appliances, electronic waste, tree branches, scrap wood and up to two tires (without the rims) — from curbside on their customers’ regular trash pick-up day.