BURBANK TAKES PRIDE IN `KID FRIENDLINESS'.

Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer

BURBANK - Neighboring Glendale may have received an A in a recent national ranking of ``kid-friendly'' cities, but Burbank is also a haven for the young, say city officials and youth service providers.

Burbank, with a population of about 100,000, was too small to be included in a report released last week by the Washington, D.C.,-based organization Population Connection. Cities were graded based on the percentage of residents with a high school diploma, teen pregnancy rates, violent crime and other categories.

``If Glendale was an A, we are an A-plus-plus-plus,'' said Burbank City Manager Mary Alvord.

``For a kid, whether they're interested in riding their skateboard or learning about the wildlife in the hills, Burbank has (opportunities) for youngsters to do that,'' Alvord said.

One service for youths that officials pointed to as unique to Burbank was the ``Got Wheels'' Youth Transportation program. With an annual budget of $200,000, the program offers youngsters between the ages of 10 and 18 free transportation to and from parks, libraries, shopping centers, schools and more on four shuttle buses.

A skateboard park opened in January 2003 at Valley Park.

Alvord also said that Burbank offers youngsters more recreational activities than other cities because for years it has funded its Park, Recreation and Community Services Department at a high level. The department has a proposed budget of $14.3 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1, and it operates 29 parks.

``I moved from rural South Carolina to Burbank; one of the main reasons was we were looking for that sense of community that Burbank has and opportunities for our family to participate in activities,'' said Bryan Madden, who took over as CEO of the Burbank YMCA in April.

Madden noted that the budget for the recreation department in his hometown of Laurens, S.C., was $35,000, and the city had a population of 37,000 people.

Some 22 percent of Burbank residents are under 18 years old, according to the 2000 census, said Mara Nelson, an editor with Population Connection. Nearly 80 percent of residents over 25 have a high school diploma, she said.

The census also shows that Burbank's one-year rate of violent crime is 296 per 100,000 people, she said.

The drop-out rate at schools in the Burbank Unified School District was about 1 percent last school year, said Alexis Sheehy, assistant superintendent for instructional services.

But there are indications that, even in largely middle-class Burbank, many students come from families struggling to make ends meet. Thirty-two percent of students come from families with incomes low enough to qualify them for free or reduced-price lunch, said Caroline Brumm, director of curriculum instruction and assessment.

Burbank's score on the Academic Performance Index was lower than Glendale's this year. Burbank got a district average of 747, compared to 774 for Glendale Unified and a statewide average of 686.

Burbank Unified collaborates with the Boys & Girls Club to offer after- school programs, and six of the district's elementary schools have the service. The Boys & Girls Club hopes to expand the program to middle schools, said Alex Fey, executive director of the organization's Burbank branch.

Alex Dobuzinskis, [phone]

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(1 -- 2; 2 ran in Glen/Bur edition only) Youths at Verdugo Park & Recreation Center board one of four shuttles, below, offering free transportation for kids 10-18.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer