Claremont Unified School District Interim Superintendent Gloria Johnston revealed results from an interdistrict transfer (IDT) student report created by independent contractor Blattner and Associates at Thursday’s school board meeting.

The report used several scenarios to show the possible negative effects of losing interdistrict transfers before advising CUSD to not move forward with eliminating its transfer students.

“After an analysis of the fiscal and programmatic ramifications of ending Claremont Unified School District’s interdistrict transfer program, it appears clear that the results would be traumatic in the extreme to the district’s bottom line and its efforts to maintain a rich and effective academic program,” the report stated. “Unless there is a strong rationale behind this plan, and strong support in doing so from the Claremont community that will have to live with the consequences of this action, it does not seem like an advisable course of action.”

CUSD is home to approximately 1250 IDTs, making up more than 17 percent of the district’s overall student population. The biggest percentage of transfer students is at the high school level (18.8 percent).

According to the report, if all 1250 IDTs were eliminated, the district would see a decline of an estimated $6.75 million annually in unrestricted revenue sources such as average daily attendance and class size reduction funding. Furthermore, if CUSD were to layoff 43 teachers in response to eliminating IDTs, the reports indicates the savings in salaries and benefits would not even amount to $2.75 million. 

Complete story in our next edition.

–Landus Rigsby