Board of Education Approves School Funding Plan

The Beverly Hills Board of Education voted 4-1 Tuesday to move forward with the city’s proposal to plug this coming year’s education budget deficit by shifting $4 million from Beverly Hills' surplus to the school district.

Board member Brian Goldberg cast the dissenting vote.

School board President Jacob Manaster, Vice President Noah Margo, Mayor William Brien and Councilman Julian Gold came up with a plan Jan. 11 aimed at preventing staff and school program cuts.

A school district staff report broke down the deal:

During the Beverly Hills City Council/Beverly Hills Unified School District Liaison Committee meeting, the group contemplated multiple components of a one-time revenue enhancement plan, including a $1 million advance on contributions to be made through an existing development agreement related to the project known as "9900 Wilshire," a potential $1.25 million enhancement to the Joint Powers Agreement between the city and the district in exchange for additional field space, library hours for children, and other youth oriented facilities activities, and the disbursement of $1.2 million held in a joint escrow account by the city and district, originally intended for the replacement of turf fields which will now be replaced through Measure E modernization projects. Of this last $1.2 million, half would be provided to the district to support district programs, and the other half would be held as a matching grant to be provided to the district should local fundraising efforts successfully raise a like amount of funds. 

The City Council will vote on the agreement Thursday.

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