Schools

Las Virgenes Unified Schools to Receive $50K State Grant

The school district is among 67 in California to receive grants for fostering "innovative high school programs," according to state education authorities.

By City News Service

Sixty-seven California school districts -- including Las Virgenes Unified, which serves Agoura Hills and Calabasas -- will receive more than $3.3 million in grants to develop programs that provide students with "advanced learning opportunities," the California Department of Education announced Monday.

The Specialized Secondary Programs grants have "a long history of helping support innovative high school programs that help students develop real-world 21st century skills," state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said.

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During the state budget crisis in 2009, funds for the SSP were "flexed," meaning that the money could have been used for any general educational purposes, officials said. The flexibility component expired this year.

"Now that these funds are available again, California will carry on its work of developing cutting-edge programs so students can explore areas of study in a deeper way while developing their talents and skills for college or career," Torlakson said. The grants are intended to fund programs "that provide high school students with advanced learning opportunities in a variety of subjects," according to the Department of Education. The subjects may include mathematics, science, history, foreign language, English, visual performing arts and social science.

Find out what's happening in Calabasaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Los Angeles County school districts receiving grants are:

-- Centinela Valley Union ($50,000);

-- Glendale Unified ($50,000);

-- Las Virgenes Unified ($50,000);

-- Long Beach Unified ($100,000);

-- Los Angeles Unified ($400,000); and

-- Pasadena Unified ($100,000).

The Orange County school districts are:

-- Anaheim Union ($50,000);

-- Huntington Beach Union ($50,000);

-- Irvine Unified ($50,000);

-- Orange County Department of Education ($50,000); and

-- Placentia-Yorba Linda ($100,000).


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