Students to Continue in Alhambra : Education: Tentative deal averts dispute about where pupils will go--and who will cover costs--until San Gabriel opens a high school of its own.

SAN GABRIEL —  Alhambra and San Gabriel school officials have reached a tentative agreement allowing San Gabriel high school students to attend Alhambra’s schools next year as they have in the past.

San Gabriel Supt. Gary Goodson said he and Alhambra Supt. Heber Meeks, along with a board member from each district, have come up with an agreement to pay for the education of 1,200 high school students from his district.

The school board will vote on the agreement at their next meetings, Goodson said. Details were not disclosed.

“I don’t foresee any problems,” he said.

The dispute over how to pay for the San Gabriel students grew so heated that Alhambra Unified last week threatened not to take them this year.

Last year, San Gabriel became a unified school district and now is required to educate high school students. However, the district does not plan to open a high school until fall, 1994.

Part of the dispute is over San Gabriel developer fees that go to the schools. About 40% of those fees were given to Alhambra to defray the cost of educating San Gabriel students. However, San Gabriel has said it wants to keep the fees to build up funds for 1994.

Alhambra has maintained that San Gabriel should get the money for the 1,200 students only when they go to that district’s high school.

Goodson said both districts have agreed to study the division of money but not tie it to signing an agreement.

A deal must be struck by June 15 to ensure enough teachers are hired.