by Winston Chua

ARCADIA – The Arcadia High School student body recently ledan effort to raise more than $306,000 to save teacher jobs at Arcadia HighSchool in just 11 days, from April 18 to 29. That won’t be enough to save everyteacher from being laid off this year, but it is certainly enough to bring morethan a handful back for next year.

“I can’t really say it was one person’s idea. It was all ateam effort which was led by our president Jon Ma. The Arcadia EducationalFoundation (AEF) supported ustremendously also,” saidArcadia High ASB PublicityCommissioner Jinnee Lee.“Other Arcadia middle schools and elementary schools are having fundraisers aswell.”

Arcadia school board member Joann Steinmeier said that thedistrict was forced to issue about 105 district-wide layoff notices inmid-March, but that the eventual number of employees who will be let go is a muchsmaller number. Unlike in previous years, Arcadia will not be able to saveevery teacher who received a pink slip.

But with efforts by the Arcadia student body and the ArcadiaEducational Foundation, the number of teachers being laid off may be closer to10 than 50, although it is still too early to tell.

The students of Arcadia have been able to save at least nineteacher positions so far, after making a concerted effort to raise $1 millionby having their parents donate to the school.

More teacher jobs can be saved if AEF receivesenough votes via the web in the Chase Community Giving Contest by May 25, whenvoting ends. To learn more visit http://aef.ausd.net/site. If AEF cancollect enough votes, they will receive up to $500,000 that will go directlytoward saving jobs.

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