Sharing one principal between Pacific Beach Elementary and Bird Rock Elementary is a poor idea that will erode the support structure for teachers, dampen morale and open the school district to lawsuits, argued parents and PTO leaders at a special school board meeting held Monday, April 27 at Bird Rock Elementary. One day later, the Board of Education voted unanimously to scrap its principal-sharing idea and restore magnet transportation that buses children between communities. The board did not discuss how it would replace that money in the budget, according to board member John de Beck. “I don’t think the board changed its mind because of the community’s attitude,” said de Beck, who represents the coastal schools. “I think it realized that there were flaws in the idea. It was not because they were trying to be accountable but because they realized their mistakes were severe… They didn’t consider all the consequences.” Superintendent Terry Grier and de Beck made a special visit to listen to hundreds of parents, teachers, principals and student leaders, many dressed in yellow T-shirts depicting a principal split in half, discuss their concerns about the district’s $154 million in budget cuts. Sharing principals among schools was projected to save the district $1.4 million. “Pacific Beach Elementary has made extraordinary efforts to prove to our neighborhood families that our school offers quality, diverse and enriched educational opportunities,” said Dawna Deatrick, president of the PTO at PB Elementary. “A part-time principal will ensure that the positive results of those efforts will be lost.” Many parents questioned the effectiveness of the Off-Campus Integrated Learning Experiences, known as OCILE, program where students spend one week at Balboa Park, Old Town or Camp Palomar, which costs the school district $6.5 million. “Funny, in this age of accountability and testing in education there appears to be no accountability standards for this program,” said Maia Clewley, a parent at La Jolla Elementary. “How are you measuring ‘success’ for OCILE programs? Where is the cost-benefit analysis?” Parents also called for the district to close small schools. De Beck reminded the audience that Bird Rock Elementary was nearly shut down in the 1990s but the neighborhood’s demographics changed as Soledad Mountain developed. The district continues to own Mission Beach Elementary that closed 13 years ago, and de Beck doesn’t believe the district could realistically close other small schools. Grier asked the audience to provide suggestions for budget cuts and to email him directly at [email protected]. Grier opposes sharing principals between schools and said he would petition the board not to cut principals from magnet schools. He said he’s been working “night and day” for the past two days to save magnet transportation that buses children to schools in other communities. Grier said he has already eliminated 204 positions from central office since last May — the name of the office is misleading and includes school staff such as cafeteria workers and custodians — and the district plans to eliminate 75 to 100 positions this year. Grier blamed the state for not supporting education and said he has lobbied the state to raise the sales tax to provide more school dollars. “In the past two years, $250 to $300 million has been taken out of the school district,” Grier said. “I wonder how much more our organization can take… It’s devastating. It’s unfair to the blame the folks at the local level.” California already spends less money per pupil than the national average. In 2008, California spent $7,848 per pupil, nearly $1,000 less than the national median, according to the National Center for Education Statistics’ July 2008 report. De Beck told the audience he agreed that small schools shouldn’t share principals and classrooms shouldn’t increase in size, and that he voted for Plan A, which includes such measures, as a place holder until the state finalizes its budget. De Beck called himself a minority voice on the school board that is directed by other members beholden to special interest groups like unions. “You can only hold the board accountable every four years,” de Beck said, referring to the four-year term for school board members. “If you lobby me over what you want, you’re lobbying the wrong person.” De Beck said he had suggested other measures, such as a 20-day furlough over two years, to save $4.4 million. Most recently he has called for the coastal area to form its own school district and offered different zoning suggestions — one plan would extend from La Jolla to Point Loma, and another would extend eastward as far as Scripps Ranch and past Clairemont. De Beck has also advocated for regional elections for communities to directly select their representatives on the school board. “In a citywide election, big money counts,” de Beck said. “I propose local accountability.” But de Beck said no one listens to his ideas and that he needs a majority of the board’s votes to make decisions. De Beck called the superintendent position “a dinosaur” and said the superintendent must implement the board’s decisions, which allows him to abdicate responsibility by saying “the board made me do it.” “If you wanted me to get along with the board, you voted for the wrong guy because I will believe what I believe forever,” said de Beck, who reiterated several times that he is 79 years old. De Beck’s answers left the audience restless and frustrated. Steve Gal, a parent at Bird Rock Elementary, urged de Beck to pressure other board members to listen to his opinions. Gal said he has voiced his concerns about shared principals before the full board, but only had 60 seconds to speak. The board is inundated with special interest groups, he added, and only an outcry from parents that makes headlines will make the board reconsider its position. Fran Shimp, president of the La Jolla Elementary PTO, agreed. She said the parents must “stand up and complain loudly” to be heard. Lisa Bonebrake said the idea of creating a separate coastal district is interesting but that the whole district must work together. “I want to see the whole district come together and break into smaller groups rather than the coastal district break away and say we’re going to be the rogue district,” Bonebrake said. “I want to see the board work together. We offered our hand to work with the board and they need to offer their hands to each other to work together. I’m done with politics. Our children are in the details.”