The trustees of the Coronado Unified School District met on Friday, December 13 at 4 pm at District Offices where trustees Renee Cavanaugh and Fitz Lee were sworn into office by Superintendent Karl Mueller. Cavanaugh, who was re-elected after serving on a two-year seat, and Lee, a first-timer, beat out two other candidates, Bill Sandke and Shawnee Barton Merriman.
Lee said that he was privileged and happy to serve on the board, thanked everyone who ran for school board and also encouraged civility.
“We may have differences in our opinions but we can respect each other’s humanity and respect each other’s positions,” he said.
The trustees also elected officers, and decided to keep all positions the same as the previous year. Alexia Palacios-Peters will continue to serve as president, Mal Sandie as vice president and Scot Youngblood as clerk.
In his budget report, Deputy District Superintendent Donnie Salamanca shared that things are looking up. Thanks to a $1.3 million estate gift, the district may have a complete bridge to Basic Aid, whereby the district will be fully-funded by local property taxes.
“We are now cautiously optimistic that we have a full bridge to Basic Aid,” said Salamanca.
The district is expected to make it to Basic Aid by July 1, 2027, when the district will see ongoing increases in revenues from $8-$10 million a year. The district is now projected to end the 2026-2027 school year with $1.9 million which will meet the required reserves of $1.7 million.
But trustee Youngblood warned community members that the district is not out of the woods just yet.
“My biggest concern is given the 4% pay increase to the Association of Coronado Teachers, what you’ve presented makes no accounting for any matching pay increases for other employees in the district,” said Youngblood. “While it looks good, the buffer is razor thin.”
Ultimately, the board voted to authorize a positive certification of the first Interim Budget Report for the period ending October 31, 2024. The next budget study committee meeting is set for February 26.
Shane Schmeichel, Director of Special Projects, was at the meeting to report on various programs within the district, including the preschool program, CoSA and world languages. He shared that the preschool program is currently serving 76 students, including 41 at Silver Strand and 35 at Village. He said the program promotes play-based, hands on learning in language, literacy, and math development.
Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) is celebrating many successes, according to Schmeichel. He said the school is enjoying a “standout year” connecting to the community and celebrating the arts at community events, donor appreciation gatherings, and performances showcased in local and regional media. He said more than 170 students are currently attending CoSA in one of six conservatories: dance, digital arts, musical theatre and drama, tech theatre, instrumental music and visual arts.
When it comes to world languages, Schmeichel shared that the State Seal of Biliteracy program is growing and students are making solid gains in Spanish and French. In his report, Schmeichel also shared more information on the success of professional teaching artists, academic interns, collaborative partnerships, and the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) program.
In her learning department update, Megan Battle, Director of Learning, shared new information from the California School Dashboard, which is the state’s accountability system designed to help communities access important information about schools and districts. The includes academic indicators, suspension indicators and graduation rate indicators.
She shared that most of the indicators are in the blue or green range indicating success, except for the suspension rates indicator which is up, primarily because of the installation of vape sensors in school bathrooms, according to administrators.
Other Board Business
- The board voted to increase rental rates for CUSD facilities. Superintendent Donnie Salamanca said the rate increases are “appropriate” and on par with “market value” for what CUSD can offer to the public and will affect any new contracts for facility rental that the board approves. Rates for CUSD facilities are listed here and rates for BBMAC are here.
- The board voted to name Erika Lowery to represent CUSD on the South County SELPA Community Advisory Committee for the 2024-2025 school year. She will work with other parents to secure appropriate services for students with special needs.
- In his superintendent report, Karl Mueller shared a draft of the new Heat Day Release Guidelines, asking for feedback and guidance for staff to incorporate into a first read at the January board meeting.
- Dr. Shannon Coulter and Dr. Kristin Northenscold updated the board on the three Department of Defense (DoDEA) grant updates, including Project E3, Project SAIL and World Language Plus.
The next regularly-scheduled school board meeting will take place on Thursday, January 16 at 4 pm.
