San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) trustee John de Beck is suggesting that the beach communities break away from the rest of the city schools and form their own district. He unveiled a plan for schools on the Peninsula, the beach communities, Clairemont and adjacent communities to form what he called the San Diego Coastal Unified School District. He said the separate district would give more control to parents and community leaders. Because property taxes pay for education, and a separate district would run more efficiently, the proposed new district could save taxpayer dollars, de Beck said. “In time, [a coastal district] would be able to say to the local people, ‘Either reduce your [property] taxes or keep them at the same level while other districts are setting them upward,’” de Beck said. De Beck presented the plan to administrators and parents in the Point Loma Cluster Schools (PLCS) Foundation April 22 during a neighbor budget forum in the Correia Middle School auditorium. But cutting the district in half, as depicted in one map version handed out to parents, takes work, de Beck said. Community organizers must collect signatures from 25 percent of registered voters in the proposed new district and hold a series of public hearings before the idea is placed before voters. De Beck said the district could be established by 2014. Polly Traylor, PLCS Foundation president, said she likes the progressive thinking behind the idea. “At least something like that has been discussed within our foundation so we can have more autonomy,” Traylor said. PLCS Foundation board member Shelli Kurth said the board has been looking for “solutions to make things more manageable.” While a separate district may be cheaper to run while providing more local control, parents are seeking solutions to the current district’s budget problems. The district approved a slate of budget cuts in March to save SDUSD an estimated $100 million. Cuts include the elimination of busing students to magnet schools, slightly increased class sizes and mandatory unpaid work furloughs, among other cuts. Asked by one audience member what parents should do to get their point across to other district trustees over future budget decisions, de Beck replied, “Go to the meetings… bang your fists, do whatever it takes.” All five members of the Board of Education, plus State Sen. Christine Kehoe and Assemblyman Marty Block will attend a school budget town hall meeting tonight, April 30, 7 p.m. at Kearny High School, 7651 Wellington St. (92111). Those who arrive at 6:30 will have an opportunity to talk to district staff members directly.