Several members of the community spoke out against proposed cuts for school counselors at the meeting of the Coronado Unified School District on Thursday, March 14. The potential layoffs are a result of a $2.3 million budget shortfall and may include several counselors, program specialists, a Spanish teacher and a maintenance worker.
A father of three children, one of whom is on the autism spectrum and suffers from ADHD, begged the district to reconsider cutting school counselors. He said his son’s transition to middle school was so challenging that the student’s mental health suffered and he would only dress in all-black. But when he began to experience the therapy dog program, run by CMS counselor Rebecca Rabe, everything changed.
“He’s alive now. He has so much life. He wears all kinds of colors. I can’t even begin to really capture it right now,” said the father. “His success in this school is owed to many great teachers all the programs you do, but it is very particularly owed to Ms. Rabe and the dog program. Please don’t cut it.”
Brian Garcia, a counselor at CMS, also expressed concern over potential counselor cuts amidst the nation’s mental health crisis. He said that, according to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death for U.S. children ages 10-14, and is the second leading cause of death for adolescents 15-19. At CMS, according to the 2022-2023 Healthy Kids Survey, 27% of 6th graders, 20% percent of 7th graders and 32% of 8th graders report chronic sadness and hopelessness. When it comes to suicide, the survey results at CMS are equally troubling.
“7% of sixth graders, 8% of seventh graders and 14% of eighth graders have seriously considered suicide,” said Garcia. “We are losing one of our main counselors, Ms. Rabe at the middle school. We need help.”
Superintendent Karl Mueller addressed the comments later in the meeting.
“This is not something anyone wants to do,” said Mueller. “It is our objective to find creative ways to restore the services that we intentionally designed and built for our staff.”
Board Authorizes Positive Certification of Budget Amidst Concerns
Earlier, the board voted to authorize a “Positive District Certification of the Second Interim Budget” despite the looming budget challenges. Donnie Salamanca, Deputy District Superintendent shared how the decisions made at the state level impact CUSD.
“Much of what happens in budget development is a series of things happening to us, as a school district,” said Salamanca. “The state does something and then we have to react and adjust accordingly.”
He shared that the district has identified an additional $2.3 million budget deficit for the upcoming school year due to reduction in state Cost of Living Adjustment (CoLA), exhaustion of COVID monies and decreased enrollment.
So far, the district has identified a $1.8 million in reductions realized through layoffs and attrition, which represents resignations, retirements, etc. But that leaves a gap of $500k that will need to be covered in additional reductions, according to Salamanca.
This also impacts the bridge to Basic Aid, whereby the district will be funded by local property taxes. CUSD is predicted to have a negative funding balance of $800k in 2026-2027.
Village Elementary Principal Delivers Annual Report
Peter Kuhns, the Village Elementary School Principal, said that Village Elementary is the portrait of a community school with its close connections to the neighborhood and serves as a main hub to young children in the community.
While he said that standardized testing data wasn’t necessarily trending in the right direction, he would keep a focused eye on what was happening with test scores and aim for improvement.
“That’s one of the things that I am adamant about as principal. That we won’t explain away data, we own it, we look at it. I’m committed to instructional improvement for all of our students,” said Kuhns.
The standardized tests show, however, that English learners are making significant gains.
He shared that goals for the year include gains in standardized testing, more community-building events and an improved school culture.
Students Speak Up Against Sewage
Representatives of the Coronado High School (CHS) Stop the Sewage Club presented facts and figures about the community’s cross-border sewage crisis. Sean Wilbur, vice president and cofounder of the club, said they are advocating for school board and community involvement as the crisis continues to uproot the lives of 2800 CUSD students.
“The CUSD classroom that is closest to the ocean is only 600 feet away from this toxic sea mist, and it flows into each and every classroom in your district,” said Wilbur.
He encouraged trustees to write letters to the federal government to advocate for help in the sewage crisis. Trustees Scot Youngblood, Whitney Antrim, Renee Cavanaugh and Alexia Palacios-Peters all said they support a school board letter to the government.
Other Meeting Happenings
The cast of “Newsies,” the musical from Advanced Performing Arts at CMS, performed a number from the show in a spotlight presentation. The show takes the stage Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 at 6pm. Tickets are available here.
CHS Associated Student Body President Wyatt Riebe gave his report on the school sites, sharing that CHS hosted a successful “Dine by the Shore” fundraiser. The school is also hosting an upcoming faculty basketball game, and the Islander Advisory Committee is working with 8th graders to help them make a smooth transition to high school. He also congratulated Curren Aldrich and Izzy Pruter from Coronado School of the Arts for earning top marks in the local Shakespeare competition. Aldrich, who placed first, will compete in New York City.
The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 18.
