Source: Carmel Valley News 3-13-08
By Roman S. Koenig
Board Meeting Audio (right-click and select Play to listen)
Ongoing discord among Del Mar Union School District board members was evident Feb. 27 during their first general meeting after superintendent Tom Bishop's resignation.
After a short concert by an Ocean Air student chorus celebrating personal character and peace-building, the meeting went on with trustees seeking censure of each other for recent comments involving district controversies.
The superintendent's chair was empty as trustees considered an intra-district transfer policy, recent demographics data and a Del Mar Heights foreign language program — and heard a suggestion from a key member of the Del Mar Schools Education Foundation that the district consider merging with Solana Beach.
Trustee Linda Crawford brought up the issue of censure early in the meeting.
“I take no pleasure in bringing this up,” Crawford said during trustee reports, citing comments by trustee Katherine White published at www.voiceofsandiego.org. Crawford called for censure of White at the next board meeting for the published comments, which alleged misconduct such as drunkenness and drug use by district employees.
At the end of the meeting, White asked that Crawford be censured for remarks in an e-mail to Bishop made public late last year, in which Crawford apparently suggested that Bishop publicly blame the trustees for the downfall of a Spanish language program at the Sycamore Ridge campus.
“I don't want Linda to stand alone in talking about censure,” White said, citing e-mails “from Linda talking about undermining some of the board actions.”
While few members of the public addressed the board Feb. 27, foundation communications chairman John Logan suggested a “bold initiative” to merge with the Solana Beach School District. He said the current climate in the district is a golden opportunity, especially with looming state budget cuts.
“Our school district is gerrymandered with Solana Beach. Neighbors across the street from Ashley Falls can't go to their local school,” Logan told the board, noting that some new condominium and apartment complexes face being split between the school districts. “Our kids end up going to the same junior highs, the same high schools.”
Logan said now is the time to reach out to Solana Beach district officials and consider the possibilities of a merger.
Bishop's absence cast a shadow across the meeting in substance and function.
While foundation president Robert Gans announced the launching of the organization's new Web site at www.delmarkids.org and discussed current fundraising goals, he expressed grave concerns over the loss of the superintendent and how that might affect fundraising.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that the Del Mar Schools Education Foundation takes absolutely no position on this action,” he told the board, referring to the buyout of Bishop's contract. “However, that said, we have already received a number of questions from parents in our community to the point of: Why should they donate to the foundation if the district has $300,000 at its disposal to buy out the remaining 18 months of the superintendent's contract?
“It is essential as we head into this critical fundraising period that you communicate the answer to that question quickly and clearly, and as through as many outlets as possible,” Gans said to audience applause. “This isn't an applause line. This is a serious request to this board.”
In considering the implementation of a foreign language program at the Del Mar Heights campus, confusion reigned for a time as board members and assistant superintendent Janet Bernard figured out whether the issue was scheduled for a vote or tabled for a future meeting. Bernard at first said the issue needed to be tabled, while the meeting agenda stated is was to be voted on.
In the end, trustees approved a five-week trial period for the program.
Trustees also spent about an hour sorting through updates of a proposed 2008-09 attendance policy, centering mostly on whether, and how, students could apply for transfers between district schools.
Board members approved the policy, which states that intra-district transfers will be effective for one school year followed by renewal for an additional school year. Families would have until 14 days to the start of the additional year to reapply. Acceptance of the transfer in one year would not guarantee such a transfer for an additional year, however.
The board also received a report from Davis Demographics, which found that enrollment is now leveling off and likely to head downward in the next few years. A downturn in the real estate market and build-out of some new communities were cited as reasons for the change in enrollment.
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