Spring 2018

Public Schools are the fundamental democratic institutions in this great nation and state and serve as the great equalizer across race, ethnicity and socio-economics.  We are the promise of a brighter future for ALL students and Saugus Union School District is proud to rank among the highest achieving districts in the state.

With the Support and Commitment of Parents, Staff and Communities:

• Saugus proudly serves almost 10,000 students and their families in the communities of Canyon Country, Saugus, Valencia and the city of Santa Clarita in Northern Los Angeles County.
• Our schools are consistently recognized as California Distinguished Schools (35 awards) with some achieving National Blue Ribbon (3), and Title 1 Achieving School (3) status. Fourteen Schools are California Gold Ribbon.
• Our students reflect diversity with over 1,000 English Language Learners representing more than 39 languages.
• Saugus is one of the largest employers in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Increase Student Achievement for ALL Students:

• Designate sufficient funding for:
  • Textbooks, materials and resources to teach the California Standards
  • Professional development for California Standards and 21^st Century Skills
  • Compatible infrastructure and technology to implement state assessments
• Fully fund Transitional Kindergarten for all children who turn four by September 1
• Fund universal preschool for all children to access early education services
• Expand mental health and counseling programs to intervene early for student well-being

Create a Stable, Equitable, Sufficient Statewide Finance System that Meet the Needs of ALL Students:

• Provide full and fair funding for schools
• Increase the Local Control Funding Formula Base (LCFF) to ensure equity and access for ALL students
• Support AB 2808 to increase base funding for LCFF
• Fund the STRS and PERS increased employer contributions outside the LCFF (Projected annual increase-$1.2 million)
• Fully fund district enrollment, not just Average Daily Attendance (Estimated annual loss-$2.5 million)
• Fully fund special education services to eliminate district encroachments (Projected $12 million in 2017-18)
• Fully fund special education preschool programs

Ensure and Sustain High Quality Learning and School Environments ALL Students:

• Simplify Department of State Architect requirements and costs to ensure timely and cost-effective approvals
• Scale up DSA and related agencies’ staffing to ensure efficient, timely processing for district applications
• Ensure statewide facilities bond funding is distributed equitably (Estimated eligibility -$17.2 million)
• Institute 55% voter approval for parcel taxes
• Fund school safety and security measures to optimize school safety and security