by Timothy Rutt
The Altadena Town Council and the board of the Pasadena Unified School District held their annual joint meeting Tuesday, March 19. The agenda was largely devoted to reports from school district officials on the challenges facing schools in Altadena, as well as general budget issues affecting the whole district.
Group homes: One of the discussions dealt with group homes: with unincorporated Altadena holding several group homes and children's service organizations such as Five Acres. Councilmember Richard Moon said that 40 children living at Five Acres go to Eliot Middle School, which puts a strain on that school's services.
Charter schools: Another issue that faces the district is charter schools: due to the district's propensity for closing school buildings in Altadena, many charters have moved in. Charters are a mixed bag for the district, according to PUSD Supt. Jon Gundry, charters due tend to draw high-perfoming children and involved parents out of the district. Even though charter schools are supposed to be open to everybody, they also tend to attract a certain social class: according to PUSD board member Ed Honowitz, only 5 percent of children attending Aveson Charter School qualify for a subsidized lunch, whereas districtwide 70% of children qualify. Children siphoning off to charters also means less money is available for the school district.
School resource officer: Altadena Sheriff Capt. John S. Benedict put in a plea for a school resource officer for Altadena schools. "The bottom line is we don't have one, and we'd like to get one," Benedict said. Such a position can be half-funded by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and half by the school district. Gundry said he supports the idea, but school board members said that school budgets were extremely tight.
African American males: Dr. Mack Hines, a consultant for the district, discussed his African American Male Initiative, which seeks to understand the achievement gap with this population and what can be done to close it.
