![Silver Strand Principal Bill Cass](https://coronadotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Bill-Cass-213x300.jpg)
April 7, 2016 CORONADO, CA — Longtime Coronado resident and CUSD employee Bill Cass will retire at the end of this school year. After over 30 years of serving Coronado students, Mr. Cass told his faculty and staff Wednesday afternoon the news that he would be leaving Silver Strand Elementary at the end of June. The news was heartbreaking to most since Mr. Cass is beloved by not only the staff, but also by parents and students. Mr. Cass has served as principal at Silver Strand since 2007 and was previously a teacher and assistant principal at Village Elementary as well as a basketball coach for the high school.
Under the leadership of Mr. Cass, Silver Strand has become San Diego County’s highest performing elementary school of similar military-impacted schools for the last several years, achieving an Academic Performance Index of over 900. His first priority has always been to ensure students feel safe, secure, and supported, believing intensely that academic achievement is only possible when students feel this way. During the last nine years, Mr. Cass has constructed a support structure for all Silver Strand students and their families, whether they are military-connected or not. The list of services and supports embedded into the Silver Strand culture includes: Operation BIGS and Operation PALS, Operation Hero, FOCUS, Military Family Life Counselors, Fleet and Family Support, and Child and Youth Programs Youth Center.
Source: Coronado Unified School District