Pomona Unified School District

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Pomona Unified School District or PUSD is a school district in California that serves approximately 32,000 students in grades pre-K through 12 at 43 schools in Pomona and part of Diamond Bar. The district also offers career-oriented adult education.


Contents

[edit] Mission and Vision statements

Under Superintendent Meléndez, PUSD has updated updated its Mission and Vision statements.

Mission Statement

The Pomona Unified School District provides a well-rounded and challenging educational program of the highest quality, empowering students to lead productive, fulfilling lives as lifelong learners. Supported on a foundation of integrity and respect, students will gain academic excellence and take personal and community pride as responsible citizens and productive participants in a diverse society and global economy.

Vision Statement

The Pomona Unified School District is a world-class education system committed to:
• Respect, where all students, parents, staff, and community members are valued partners;
• Responsibility, where everyone is accountable for what they say and do; and
• Results, which reflect a high level of student achievement.

[edit] E-Rate Controversy

In July 2005, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin published a series of articles claiming that the school district was using 2001 E-Rate funds inappropriately. E-Rate funds are monies collected from a federal excise tax on the use of telephones. Under an audit conducted by the organization that administers E-Rate funds, the district was found to have possibly used 460 PowerBook laptops inappropriately, since they were purchased as file servers but not all were still being used as such three years later. The Internal Audit Division made a recommendation to seek reimbursement for the funds, though this has not occurred is still under appeal. The audit stated there were "no exceptions" and "no competitive bidding violations" with the procurement process. According to teachers, the laptops were described as a "joke" and additional servers had to be purchased for file serving purposes. The computers were not connected to the Internet, and many computers were used merely as "glorified DVD players." [1]

The newspaper also stated that the district spent too much money on the laptops (a total of $2.4 million, or over $5,000 per laptop), and that there was nepotism involved in the selection of the contractor, which was the parent company of Meshworx; the brother of the district's technology coordinator worked for Meshworx. In response, the PUSD sued the newspaper alleging libel. The school district stated that there was "nothing wrong or improper with the purchase of the machines" and that the problem "was that the machines has 'client' workstation user software installed in addition to 'server' software."[2] Part of the controversy is the recent retirement [3] of the superintendent and the implication by the newspaper that this is related to the E-Rate audit. The school board initially opted for an internal review but has since ordered an independent investigation of the expenditures. The review is still underway. The articles have spurred a group of local residents to initiate a recall four out of the five members of the school board. [4]

[edit] Other Controversies

Four of five school board members were served with a notice of recall in response to frustrations arising from the PUSD's handling of a conditional offer from the City of Diamond Bar to install an artificial turf field on the poorly maintained Lorbeer field. Negotiations resumed once the usage limitations were rescinded from the city.

Before the 2005 election of the one school board member not the subject of recall petitions, Andrew S. Wong [5], virtually all votes for 10+ years were unanimous.

[edit] Administration

  • Superintendent: Dr. Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana[6]
  • Deputy Superintendent, Personnel Services: Emmett L. Terrell[7]
  • Assistant Superintendent, Pupil and Community Services: Richard Martinez[8]
  • Assistant Superintendent, Chief Financial Officer: Pamela J. Lopez[9]
  • Chief Academic Officer: Dr. Brent Woodard[10]
  • Assistant to the Superintendent, Education Options: Enrique Medina Jr.[11]

[edit] Pomona Unified Schools

All sections in the city are zoned to an elementary, middle, and high school. A small portion of the northern section of Pomona is within the Claremont Unified School District.[1]

[edit] External links