Beverly Hills : Schools to Get $5.4 Million

The City Council has informally agreed to give Beverly Hills public schools $5.4 million a year for the next four years.

The city stipulates that $160,000 of that amount must be used on crossing guards, but the rest goes into the Beverly Hills Unified School District’s general fund and can be used for educational programs, teacher salaries or whatever else board members choose.

The current contract between the city and the school district, called a “joint powers agreement,” expires in June. The new contract is expected to be signed in the next few weeks, school board member A.J. Willmer said. The contract amount is the same as the old one but does not include a yearly cost-of-living increase.

“It’s an extraordinary sum of money,” Willmer said. “There are significant financial constraints on both the school district and the city. . . . I think (the agreement) demonstrates the commitment of Beverly Hills to public education.”

In exchange for the contribution, the city uses school facilities when school is not in session for community meetings, recreation and other public services.

City and school district officials have been negotiating the contract since January, Willmer said. City council members studied the school budget during workshops. Talks about increasing public services and sharing resources, such as custodial and gardening equipment, will continue throughout the year, Willmer said.