District Funding Dominates School Board Candidates’ Forum

The three school board candidates running for two open seats in November answered multiple questions at Thursday night’s San Marino City Club voters’ forum about how they plan to address financial shortfalls.

San Marino Tribune editor Mitch Lehman moderated the forum, which also included a question and answer session with city council candidates, and asked questions submitted by the audience on cards.

Check back for coverage of the city council candidate’s Q&A at the forum.

Solutions for District’s Financial Shortfalls

When asked how the board deals with cuts, incumbent board member Chris Norgaard said the Stoneman lease, $300 parcel tax and yearly donations from the San Marino Schools Foundation have helped in the short term.

When all candidates were asked how they would lessen the district’s financial dependence on the community, Norgaard suggested looking more into grant opportunities but also said the district will likely be struggling for a while.

“We’ll need to renew the parcel tax,” said Norgaard, adding it comprises a sixth of the district’s budget.

Link said it was hard to know what exact avenues are available since she is not currently on the school board, but the state should recognize San Marino is a very small district and suggested possibly refinancing bonds at a lower rate.

“If the state is struggling, our revenue limit is going to be lower, so I hope people continue to support our schools,” said Link.

Hu said he was “very optimistic” that the district’s struggling financial situation is short term but it is important to get more financial support from parents that are not already giving.

“We hope for the best and plan for the worst,” said Hu. “If we do good communication and publicity with parents, we can get more participation.”

Hu read off prices of recently sold San Marino homes—one sold recently for $4.7 million and another for $8.8 million—and emphasized that those new residents should be recognized as a large asset and welcomed into the community.

Keeping San Marino Schools Number One

Candidates were also asked what they feel is the most critical issue to the .

Hu said money is important since teachers will be laid off without it but it is also not everything.

“We need spirit,” said Hu. “We need morale.”

Link agreed that finances are important and said the district must be vigilant even though the situation is improving. Link said enrollment decline also needed to be addressed since state funding is based on average daily attendance (ADA).

“We’ve got to continue to get and keep the attention of everyone, “said Norgaard, adding that San Marino’s small size and reputation as a wealthy city can leave it overlooked.

Norgaard mentioned the possibility of renewing the $300 parcel tax and stressed reaching out to partner with institutions like the and JPL to supplement school programs.

Full video of the forum with school board and city council candidates can be seen on Channel 19 and the San Marino City Club website.