Palisades Charter High School will receive $200,000 to $300,000 more in funding from the state than school leaders had anticipated. PaliHi Chief Business Officer Greg Wood had calculated that the school would receive about $400,000 less, based on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget last May. The governor, however, decided to increase education funding when he signed the 2008-09 budget on September 23. The state pays schools a certain amount per student based on their attendance rate. PaliHi was paid about $8,300 per student last year and that amount increased to approximately $8,500 for this year, Wood said. ‘I have been told that the governor could make cuts mid-year, but I think it’s pretty safe,’ Wood said. ‘It would be tougher to collect the money back in the middle of the year because those who received it may have already spent it.’ The PaliHi board of directors approved an operating budget of $22.5 million in June, expecting a tight financial year. The board did not lay off any staff and set aside a $3.8 million reserve. ‘It is indeed good news that the budget picture is slightly better than anticipated,’ Executive Director Amy Dresser-Held told the Palisadian-Post. ‘However, this one percent increase in our anticipated budget could easily be offset or absorbed by increased health benefits costs or increased facilities costs.’ Meanwhile, she said the Los Angeles Unified School District has also decided to cut its integration funding for the Permits with Transportation program. The district provided $179,000 in funding for the PWT program last school year, but the amount for this year is $26,600. Last year, the money was used to pay for the salaries and benefits of teachers who were hired to reduce freshman class sizes. ‘The loss in funding from LAUSD is being supported by the general fund and our reserve,’ Wood said. ‘PaliHi is coordinating with the six other conversion charter schools [Granada Hills Charter High School and five elementary schools] impacted by this ruling to engage LAUSD in their rationale and lack of input on this unilateral decision.’ ‘Additionally, PaliHi believes that, given its charter agreement, which requires the acceptance of large number of PWT students in our enrollment, we are in a unique position to retain this funding as well,’ Wood continued. ‘We will initially engage the district en masse, then look to our individual situation with our LAUSD board member [Marlene Canter] or the charter office at LAUSD.’ The PaliHi board voted this spring to increase enrollment in order to generate more money for the school. If the school maintains a daily attendance rate of 2,600 students for the year, Dresser-Held said it should end the year in solid financial shape. At the end of September, the school had a total enrollment of 2,736 students with a daily attendance rate of 2,662 students. PaliHi has 37 more students enrolled than last year at this time. Dresser-Held said the school is able to accommodate the additional students, while keeping class sizes reasonable. School counselors try to cap class size at 37 students. To provide additional classroom space, the meeting room off the study center has been converted into a classroom and another bungalow was added near the baseball field. ‘We are spreading the campus out more,’ Dresser-Held said. The high school also has a partnership with West Los Angeles College and offers courses online for students. The counselors review the courses students take at the community college or online to make sure they are rigorous and meet standards.
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