MBHS/PB Middle School merger remains on table

Bowing to intense public pressure, the San Diego Unified School District’s (SDUSD) Board of Education scrapped its plan on Nov. 1 to close roughly a dozen campuses across the city in a $5 million annual cost-saving campaign. The move spares Crown Point Elementary from being closed and consolidated with Bayview Terrace Elementary, but trustees are marching forward toward a consolidation of Mission Bay High School (MBHS) and Pacific Beach Middle School (PBMS) into a grades 6-12 school. The latter part of the plan was initially dropped on Nov. 1 before being re-introduced by trustee Scott Barnett, who represents the beach-area schools. That part of the plan was subsequently approved 5-0. Mission Bay High principal Fred Hilgers said there is a differing level of reaction to the latest news of combining MBHS and PBMS. “There is an entire range of emotions,” Hilgers said. “I have never seen a middle school and high school merged before. Our teaching staff is definitely concerned because they don’t know if they’ll have a job. We also don’t know if the school will remain open during the transition or closed and reopened.” Hilgers said from a parental perspective or educators’ perspective, consolidating MBHS and PBMS could be a positive experience. “We would be able to focus on a common theme and create a stronger identity for the school and the cluster,” he said. Hilgers admits that at present, he and his staff are in limbo as to how to proceed. The impact on the programs — particularly football and basketball — could be enormous, he said. “We are trying to prepare in case they decide to combine the schools for next year,” said Hilgers. “I don’t believe it is achievable for the 2012-2013 school year because of all the structural changes that would need to be made. We’ll have to wait and see.” PBMS principal Julie Martels was unavailable for comment by press time. The latest SDUSD proposal is to close Lincoln High School, consolidate Crawford High School with four academies, combine San Diego Communications and San Diego High Science and Technology into one school, close and move Point Loma-based Barnard Elementary School’s Mandarin Chinese immersion program into a greater language academy, and consolidate Mission Bay High School and Pacific Beach Middle School. The SDUSD’s credit rating has been downgraded twice in the last month because of its ongoing budget crisis. The SDUSD Board of Education was expected to host a workshop on Nov. 8 and decide whether to proceed with its latest proposals or make any changes. As of press time, it was unclear whether Tuesday’s meeting would produce any subtractions, additions or the elimination of all of the current proposals on the table. On Oct. 24, Barnett proposed an alternative plan, which would include not closing any schools but that would cut teacher salaries by 10 percent. His plan would also force employees to pay more for healthcare plans, freeze raises for teachers and call for a citywide election in 2012 to let voters decide whether they want to pay more to make up for the salary cuts. Barnett’s plan is temporarily on hold as he assesses financial details of his proposal and it is not clear when it will be formally introduced to the board of education. Despite the uncertain course of action to bring the SDUSD’s finances back in line, the timeline for the current realignment plan remains the same. The first reading of recommendations is scheduled to take place on Nov. 29, followed by what is expected to be a final vote on Dec. 13. For the latest news, updates and decisions on the SDUSD’s planned realignments and closures, visit www.sandi.net/realignment.