Pomona is a city of approximately 145,834 residents, more than double what it was thirty years ago. It is the third largest municipality in the I-10 corridor, east of the city of Los Angeles. It is also the largest community in the Pomona region which includes the adjacent cities of Claremont, LaVerne, San Dimas, Diamond Bar and Walnut, plus the nearby cities of Montclair, Chino, Covina and West Covina. City of Knowledge students come from all of these areas as well as from more distant communities in Orange County.

Housing

A wide variety of home styles and price ranges can be found in Pomona. From starter homes to mansions, ranch styles to Victorian era architecture, there are homes that meet all preferences and budgets. Condominiums and apartments range from up-scale gated communities to senior citizen complexes to affordable starter homes. Those eligible may qualify for incentives including deferred payment second mortgages, reduced closing costs and principal/interest payments. A "Neighborhoods in Progress" program provides qualified owner-occupants with residential improvement assistance, including landscaping, exterior painting and roofing.

Pomona is home to nearly 3,000 historically significant buildings. The Ganesha Hills neighborhood features Spanish-style homes, the historic district of Lincoln Park contains a variety of stately homes and Phillips Ranch is another example of a fine planned community with beautiful homes and large open spaces. The availability of fine homes, combined with reasonable rental rates, offers an unusually wide range of housing options.

Infrastructure

The Pomona Unified School district includes four high schools and thirty-four elementary and middle schools. Total enrollment in the district is 32,819 students divided between 6,877 high school students and 25,942 students in its elementary and middle schools. The percentage of Hispanic students is at 72%, White students at 9.6%, African American at 11.1%, 7.5% Asian and 0.1% Native American.

Pomona residents are also served by twenty-three private schools. The Pomona USD Educational Village, located in a former shopping plaza, offers a unique learning environment for the children and adult residents of Pomona. The district offers adults the opportunity to further their education by attending Career and Continuing Education programs. Pomona's combined library systems include over one million volumes and offer a variety of community services, including youth and children's programs, and preschool and toddler storytime.

Pomona's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Educational Resource Library includes an Applied Technology classroom for elementary and junior high science and technology teachers. Teachers learn methods of presenting a science curriculum and further educate themselves with the vast combined resources of NASA and JPL.

California State Polytechnic University serves more than 16,000 undergraduate students. It is the second largest of California States 20 campuses. It offers programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, landscaping, and hotel and restaurant management and operation.

Western University of Health Sciences has nearly 1000 students and is located in the heart of downtown Pomona. This nationally acclaimed medical school is a non-profit, accredited, independent academic health center. DeVry Institute of Technology offers Bachelor of Science degrees in business management, accounting, telecommunications, electronics technology and computer information systems. DeVry also offers an associate degree program for electronic technicians.

Westech College offers a wide range of vocational training programs, including medical records and billing, and computer-aided drafting. Pomona is just minutes from six additional universities. In nearby Claremont, the Claremont Colleges are a consortium of five small, private colleges and a graduate school. The University of LaVerne is a co-educational, comprehensive university providing four-year undergraduate degree programs in liberal arts, business,, economics, education, and law. Masters and doctoral degrees are also offered, and the School of Continuing Education provides a number of undergraduate and graduate programs at off-campus locations. Mt. San Antonio Community College which offers a variety of courses, is also home to a training center for professionals, supplementing school curriculums and offering business preparation training.

City Government

The city of Pomona was incorporated in January of 1888 and has a Council/City Manager form of government. The City Council is made up of individuals representing six districts, and the mayor. The City Council, comprised of the elected representatives of The City of Pomona, provides legislative and policy leadership. The six council members are elected by district and serve four-year terms. The Mayor is elected at large and serves as the presiding officer of the City Council and the official head of City Government. The City Council appoints the City Manager, City Treasurer, City Attorney, City Clerk and members of various committees, boards, and other citizen advisory groups.

Health Services

The Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center is a fully accredited, 493-bed facility, with 500 physicians, 2,400 employees, and 800 volunteers providing service to Pomona residents. Many services are offered at Pomona Valley, including a Women'' Center, Sports Medicine Center, Regional Kidney Stone Center, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Heart Center, Cancer Care Center and a Sleep Disorders Center. It is a full-service care provider.

Casa Colina Hospital is a nationally recognized 66-bed facility offering specialized care for spinal cord injuries, chronic pain and pulmonary disease. There are several assisted-living centers for the physically disabled, and a number of walk-in health clinics for urgent care.

Population Breakdown

The ethnic distribution is as follows:
Hispanic 54.3%
White 25.6%
African-American 12.7%
Asian 6.9%
American Indian .5%

The median age of the population is 28.7 years. In the over 50 range is 17% of the population , while 83% is in the lower than 50 years range. The largest representation in the population is 21.2 % in the 0 - 9 age range, followed by 17.5% in the 10 - 19 age range.

Employment trends

The City of Pomona administers several programs that provide training for employees at little or no cost to employees. Programs designed to attract and retain businesses in Pomona have succeeded in creating new employment opportunities and increased service offerings for residents. Pomona is home to small business start-ups and established retail giants. Pomona's workforce is diverse, skilled, and well educated. Area colleges and universities provide Pomona with combined resources of 95,000 students. Pomona's employment sectors include 40% in Production, 31% in Service, 19% in Professional, and 10% in Executive professions. Pomona's major employers represent many of the growing areas of the economy, including telecommunications, electronics, health care, and education. The median household income in Pomona is $43,151.00

The major issues in Pomona include the challenge to a healthy redevelopment, the reinforcement of its image as a productive community, and the protection and education of its largest population segment - the under 20-year olds.

The City of Knowledge offers an educational program designed to prepare students for university admission, and beyond that for productive lives as contributing citizens. In keeping with its status as a Muslim school, it is dedicated to providing students with a comprehensive religious education. The inculcation of moral, and specifically Quranic values into the curriculum is therefore primary.

Support programs are limited at the present time. They consist mainly of offering tutorial assistance to students, financial assistance to some parents, and opportunities for after-school participation in religious programs.