Pomona Unified School District
Encyclopedia : P : PO : POM : Pomona Unified School District
Pomona Unified School District or PUSD is a school district that serves most of the Pomona Valley, California; from most of the city of Pomona to the northern portion of Diamond Bar (north of Grand Avenue). It has programs that range from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. The District also has career-oriented programs for adults.
Portions of the city of Pomona (particularly the triangle bounded by Foothill Boulevard, Thompson Creek, and the city of La Verne) are in the Claremont Unified School District.
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 misused 460 PowerBook laptops inappropriately, since they were purchased as file servers but not all were still being used as such three years later. This ruling is still under appeal. The audit stated there were "no exceptions" and "no competitive bidding violations" with the procurement process. The newspaper stated the laptops were not used by teachers for file serving purposes. 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. Part of the controversy is the recent resignation of the superintendent and the implication by the newspaper that this is related to the e-rate audit.
Other Controversies
The PUSD is subject to at least two lawsuits, both including allegations of fraud, for throwing out businesses in PUSD-owned properties with little or no notice, even with leases in effect.[[Citing sources citation needed]] The relationship between the Pomona School District and the Pomona Valley Educational Foundation has also been called into question. #redirect
Four of five school board members were served with a notice of recall in response to frustrations arising from the PUSD's handling of an 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.
Detractors accuse Patrick Leier to rule the district with an iron hand, disciplining or firing employees who dissent. Before the election of school board member Wong, virtually all votes for 10+ years were all unanimous.
Administration
- Superintendent: Patrick Leier
Some locally well-known schools
- Ganesha High School
- Diamond Ranch High School - Won California's Distinguished School Award in 2003.
- Fremont Middle School
- Garey High School
- Palomares Middle School
- Philadelphia Elementary School
- Pomona High School
- Vejar Elementary School - Won California's Distinguished School Award in 1995.
- Westmont Elementary School
- Lorbeer Middle School
- Marshall Middle School
External links
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