On Thursday, January 15, at the first school board meeting of the year, Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) Superintendent Karl Mueller said the new funding formula will “change the landscape” of Coronado schools, and Coronado Middle School Principal Brooke Falar challenged perceptions that her campus is “unsafe.” Mueller delivered his yearly “State of the District” address, and Falar shared her annual report.
Mueller said that Basic Aid in 2027 is now a reality, which means the district will be fully-funded by local property taxes and will not rely on enrollment and attendance. The district expects to have ongoing annual revenues of $8-$10 million when Basic Aid takes effect.
“We are over the bridge,” said Mueller. “We’ve achieved the largest obstacle to our big ideas on where we can go and grow as a school district.”
But it didn’t come easy. Mueller shared some pivotal points over the last ten years that helped set the course for success. He said in 2018, the district was able to shorten the timeline to Basic Aid by 10 years, and in 2020 got a loan for the lease for the Early Childhood Development Center which helped increase revenue. In addition, the district applied for Department of Defense (DoDEA) grants for programs that the community wanted, but the district couldn’t then afford.
“This is a very exciting time to be a student or a staff member in CUSD,” said Mueller. “But we’ve had to hustle to get where we’re at today.”
Now the district can move ahead with some of its plans, as guided by the Portrait of a Graduate document, which he referred to as the district’s “North Star.” This includes strengthening K-12 pathways in visual and performing arts, world language programs, and robotics. Emerging opportunities include programs in computer science, engineering, sports medicine, woodworking, media & design arts, and environmental stewardship.
“The governing board is going to be essential in prioritizing some of these initiatives as we move forward,” said Mueller.
On the horizon are potential changes for cell phone policy, new protocols for teaching artificial intelligence, and opportunities for iLAB. Other new opportunities include the potential use of solar panels, revamped HVAC, bringing back the school buses, and a dual immersion pathway program.
Big changes are afoot for interdistrict transfers, as they will no longer translate into revenue for the district under the new funding formula. Mueller said reducing interdistrict transfers could ultimately reduce class sizes, but tough decisions will need to be made. Also unclear is the future of the transitional kindergarten program, as it will not be funded by Basic Aid.
Trustee Renee Cavanaugh said she and other board members were interested in getting community feedback on what initiatives to prioritize.
“Parent, student and teacher voice is going to be very important, so don’t be shy out there,” she said. “Let us know what you’re thinking, what you would like to see, what are your visions…because we represent you.”
Coronado Middle School Principal delivers annual report
Brooke Falar, Coronado Middle School Principal, delivered her annual report, highlighting school success and areas of potential improvement. She acknowledged that the last year had been challenging, and thanked the district for adding much-needed counseling support.
The CMS community was rattled last spring when a 13-year-old student died by suicide, and later this fall when one student stabbed another inside the middle school library. Falar said her students have gotten a bad reputation for bullying in the community and social media.
“But some of the rumors or the perception that our school is unsafe because of bullies is untrue,” said Falar. “Believe me, our kids are aware of the perception that’s out there. To them, it means they’re being called bullies.”
She said that the world “bullying” is often used as a catch-all to describe every inappropriate behavior.
“Are there kids who have engaged in bullying behaviors? Yes. Like in every school,” she said. “But I want to take a minute to remind the community that there is a difference between rude behavior, mean behavior, and bullying behavior.”
Falar shared some school demographics and statistics, and said that there is a high degree of mobility at CMS. This year, there were 85 students new to the district attending the school. 129 students are interdistrict transfers and 168 military-connected. These three groups account for 62% of the population.
But CMS offers many opportunities for connection, including a record number of student clubs like Yoga Club, Twilight Club, and the new lunchtime Robotics Club. Other opportunities include the Military Kids Club, Triton Hangout, and Student Buddies.
When it comes to CAASPP and CAST test scores, CMS celebrated big gains in science, which went up a full ten points. Many scores remained steady while some took a little dip. Falar said that the influx of new students could potentially affect scores.
“Some of these scores have gone down, we know that,” said Falar. “There are a lot of variables. A large part of that variable is the demographics and the students we have.”
She said that she was looking forward to a new cell phone policy for CMS, as none of the previous policies have been very successful. She also pointed to a new late work and homework policy.
Falar noted many celebrations, including new courses that align with CMS pathways. The 6th grade wheel class has been transformed into Computer Science, and the STEM semester class incorporates two new courses: App Creators and Medical Detectives. There’s also a new year-long STEM class encompassing Design & Modeling and Automation & Robotics.
Falar thanked the CMS staff and said they are a caring, positive and dedicated group of people that make the school a great place to work.
“It’s because of these adults and these students that I stand here today and say with my head held high, even through a very challenging year, that I am Brooke Falar, the proud principal of CMS,” she said.
Trustee Fitz Lee expressed gratitude to the staff at CMS for leadership and professionalism, saying “you’ve made us all proud.” Mueller applauded the CMS administration for being sensitive to student needs, and for the work both Falar and her assistant principal Brooke Barto put into the school.
“I know this has been a challenging year, and I love how you two work together…” said Mueller. “You know where to find your inspiration, it’s from your students. There is nothing broken at CMS.”
Other Board News
- The board accepted the annual audit for the fiscal year, ending June 30, 2025.
- The board approved revisions to board policies, spearheaded by Trustee Lee. The revised documents include policies on nondiscrimination in employment, artificial intelligence, history and social science instruction, and controversial issues. The suggested revisions for the science instruction policy could be approved at a later date.
- Associated Student Body President Haissam Kouli shared that applications for Coronado school of the Arts are now open and can be accessed at the CoSA website.
The next school board meeting will take place on Thursday, February 19 at 4 pm at District Offices.
