At the first regularly-scheduled school board meeting of the year, Superintendent Karl Mueller said that the district is almost at the “finish line,” nearing community-based funding whereby the district anticipates $8 to 10 million of additional revenue in the 2027-2028 school year. But Mueller warned of upcoming budgeting challenges and competing interests, and encouraged the trustees to be purposeful throughout the transition process.
“We are entering into a new reality,” said Mueller in his annual State of the District report. “Basic Aid can be a game changer, but we need to proceed with caution.”
Mueller said that the district should make it to Basic Aid by the “skin of our teeth” and that the trustees will be tasked with creating a new financial decision-making document that will guide their work.
“The five of you are going to have to, over the next two years, look critically at the decisions you are making with a foot in each world,” said Mueller. “How are we prioritizing programs for our students today, with an understanding that the rules on how we are going to be funded are going to change significantly in 2027.”
He cautioned there are expectations built up around Basic Aid, and the idea that the district will be able to do “everything.” But Mueller said that the trustees need to help temper some of those expectations and be very deliberate in how they prioritize district resources.
Trustee Fitz Lee echoed Mueller’s statements, acknowledging that it had been decades since the district has had access to such funding.
“There are going to be some amazing and exciting times but we have to ease our way into it, and there are going to be some very important things to consider,” said Lee.
Mueller also shared numbers on current district demographics, pathways and successes. The district currently has 2739 students, with 39% being military-connected. 14% of CUSD students receive special education accommodations, and 13% are low-income. 25% are Hispanic, 57% are white, and 15% are inter district transfers. The current student teacher ratio is 21:1.
According to Mueller, the demographic breakdown is pretty stable in terms of numbers aside from two significant shifts: enrollment is down (from more than 3100 students prior to the global pandemic) and the number of inter district transfers has bounced around from 12% to 19% the last 20 years.
CUSD has a 98% graduation rate, and offers 12 pathways in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and VAPA (Visual and Performing Arts) and ranks #1 in English Language CAASPP testing scores, as compared with other San Diego Unified School Districts. The district is adding courses like aerospace and engineering and capstone courses.
Earlier in his presentation, Mueller underscored the importance of focusing on programs for current students.
“We won’t press pause on what we believe is right for students until we reach Basic Aid,” said Mueller.
Silver Strand Elementary Annual Report
Jennifer Moore, Principal of Silver Strand Elementary, presented her annual report on the school. She described Strand as the “anchor school for the military community,” with 75% of students being military-connected. The school is known for long-standing traditions such as Friday Flagpole ceremonies and its annual luau, and is celebrated for its warm and accepting culture, according to Moore.
She said the school receives Title 1 Funding, most of which is used for reading intervention programs with a focus on writing and English Language Arts. While standardized test scores on ELA and math remain strong, Moore noted that the school’s scores in science are an area of growth. She says the DoDEA grant and the work of the learning department will help make science standards more accessible.
Moore said that the jump in standardized test scores for students with learning challenges is a “huge celebration” for the school. The scores went up from 20% and 14% percent of students meeting or exceeding standards in ELA and math in 2020-2021, respectively, to 65% in both areas of testing for 2023-2024.
Moore credited the co-teaching model and access to educational specialists and registered behavior technicians for much of this success.
“We are inclusive in ways that I have not seen before in educational institutions,” said Moore. “A lot of challenges come with that, but it’s gratifying to see a lot of the successes that come with general education co-teaching.”
While Moore noted that the school’s standardized test scores in science are an area of growth, she said the DoDEA grant and the work of the learning department will help make science standards more accessible.
In his comments, Trustee Mal Sandie said that the “great vibe” noted at Silver Strand Elementary could be attributed in part to Principal Moore.
“You’ve had continued superior performance from your children down there,” said Sandie. “I imagine, that if you racked and stacked all the Title 1 schools in the state, I think Silver Strand would be way up there at the top.”
Other Board Happenings
- The trustees voted to accept the Annual Audit for the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2024.
- The district voted that Fitz Lee join Scot Youngblood on the 2X2 committee, which works to strengthen partnerships between the district and the City of Coronado.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting is set for February 20 at 4 pm at District Offices.
