Among the multiple comments posted below my Jan. 27 post about the millions in shortfalls faced by the City and school district, were several comments referencing over-crowded schools in Arcadia.
by Scott Hettrick
While there are several other comments that I feel may not be accurate, the presumption that Arcadia schools are over-crowded is a misperception and something I know to be false, especially regarding the high school, so I would like to provide some precise numbers to disabuse people of this notion.
According to the Arcadia School District:
7.2% decline in number of students in district over last five years (9,443 now; 10,169 in 2005-06 school year)
8.2% decline in high school population — down from peak of 3,900 in 2005-06 to 3,580 now
There are already enough classrooms for all the students at all the schools without crowding 40 kids to a regular classroom (unless a special popular high school subject draws an extra large number of students temporarily), and even more classrooms are being added as part of the $218 million bond renovation project.
In fact, superintendent Dr. Joel Shawn recently said that enrollment has been declining so much — about 100 students per year over the last firve years — that it is contributing to the district’s budget woes because funds are based on the number of students.
Student enrollment ebbs and flows in cycles over the years, but the number of students at Arcadia schools has been on the downswing for more than five years, keeping class sizes down to comfortable and manageable levels, which, along with additional classrooms being built, will allow for a likely cycle of growth in the future.
— By Scott Hettrick