With a reserve that totals

more than its

current operating

budget, the Baldy View Regional

Occupational Program

(ROP) has been questioned by

Claremont Unified School

District Interim Superintendent

Gloria Johnston.

Ms. Johnston believes Baldy View

ROP could provide more funding to

CUSD and the other districts (Chaffey

Joint Union High School District, Chino

Valley Unified School District, Upland

Unified School District) the organization

serves. Baldy View ROP’s budget is $7

to $8 million with the reserves going into

this fiscal year totaling approximately $9

million.

“I have never heard of such a thing

where a JPA [Joint Powers Authority] has

a reserve of over 100 percent of its operating

budget,” Ms. Johnston said. “I

don’t know of a public organization that

has anything like that. I believe that the

money they have should be spent on the

students who generate the money.”

ROP organizations provide school districts

with career technical education opportunities

for students. Baldy View ROP

offers an assortment of business, health,

industry and medical related courses to

its 4 client school districts.

Baldy View ROP Superintendent Jose

Castro said the organization puts student

needs first and maintains its reserves in

order to maintain the same level of services

for students. Mr. Castro pointed out

that ROP organizations are not afforded

the same “safety nets” as school districts.

“The districts can apply to go to the

county office of education and get a loan

from the county for cash flow purposes,”

Mr. Castro said. “ROP is not given that

same luxury. If we don’t have a reserve,

then there is no cash flow and then we

have to go out to the open market and

borrow money.”

Ms. Johnston voiced her concern

about Baldy View ROP’s reserves at both

the October 6 and 20 CUSD board meetings.

The interim superintendent will

soon present a proposal to Baldy View

ROP asking for approximately $1 million

in funding that will provide culinary arts

curriculum, sports medicine training and

money for the Claremont High School

Theatre renovation project.

“I’ve checked around and