CL wrote on May 7, 2008 2:10 PM:Finally, all the naysayers can go away. Let's build it now. The Union comes through again. Way to go VUSD!

Well Done Donna.... wrote on May 7, 2008 3:49 PM:Credit where due.. Well done Donna...

not in my backyard wrote on May 7, 2008 4:16 PM:please don't build this school here -the roads are no up to the traffic- have you tried to drive EB 76 at rush hour? Why here? The population of east oceanside will not support this school - stop wasting the money!

Observer wrote on May 7, 2008 4:50 PM:NIMBY's correct on all points. It should have been built on the Lincoln site with more than one story buildings. Those would now be finished, ready to be used AND ALL of the buildings would be completed ready to house students this fall -- even a cafeteria!

Transportation vs Location wrote on May 7, 2008 7:27 PM:So, VUSD builds this school at the far end of the District (so far that they had to petition the County Office of Ed. to move District boundaries). They all the schools Magnet High Schools, but don't provide any District funded transportation, and there is no City or county transportation available either.

Enter oil prices soaring to $120+ a barrel and heading toward $200 a barrel, with corresponding Gasoline prices at $4/gal and heading toward $5/gal.

Add in the looming recession (CA is already in one).

Now answer me this: Where are all the students going to come from to populate these new schools? What parent is going to drive up to 10 miles across town (20 miles round trip) 5 days a week, in morning and afternoon traffic on city streets getting no better than 10 MPG (or about $10/day, $50/week, or $1,820/ school year), spending up to an hour or more of daily commuting time, just so their child can attend these schools? Especially when their child can simply walk to the local High School down the block. At best, when this trailer park school opens (most likely behind the new schedule), requiring additional work to be fully completed (see Rancho Minerva Middle School), the enrollment will be too low to effectively run both of the two schools as separate schools. Within a year there will be a move by the District to unify the two schools into a small comprehensive high school, and redraw boundaries within the District to "Force" students to attend this school. Even then, it will have numerous facilities problems (see Madison Middle school and the sewer gas problems) and the trailers will begin to leak due to corner cutting required to come in within the new budget. In the end the test scores of the students forced to attend this school will show no significant improvement, and the taxpayers will be out the nearly $100M spent to build another failing trailer park school.

Oh what a waste of good young minds!

Trailer Park High School wrote on May 8, 2008 1:37 AM:This is what Mission Vista should be called and a White Elephant should be its mascot. Ok, maybe a Trojan Horse because that is what it is. I agree with Transportation vs. Location that within a year it will be turned into a comprehensive High School. Isn't it nice that Administration receives a stick built building, yet the student population has modular buildings with a couple of exceptions? If they were so concerned about the cost, keep the modular trend and build something that is needed. Say, like a cafeteria or a science building, perhaps? Isn’t it fair that if students have to learn in trailers that administrators should follow suit?

foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 5:47 AM:The Lincoln Middle School site was too small to be a high school forty years when I was in high school. It was run down then. It's water and sewer systems buried under the buildings was inadequate and still is.

This community has needed a new high school on a high school sized property for the last twenty years. Let's get it built.

To foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 6:30 AM:You say that the Lincoln site is still run down? Have you stopped by to see? It is a shame that these rumors continue. Since we are on rumors...never mind...

foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 6:40 AM:To Transportation vs Location

A few of questions for you:

(1) Suppose bond Prop LL had been passed back in the mid-eigties when there was still vacant land in the middle of the district, where do you think the high school would have been built? Perhaps on one of those middle of our district tracts of lands that is now covered in housing developments?

(2) What did you do to help pass those earlier bonds when more centrally located land parcels were available?

(3) Whose fault is it that the only tract of high school sized land left when a bond issue finally passed was out at the far end of the district? (By the way there are hundreds of homes and apartments west and southwest of the new magnet high school. I think they may contain a few potential students who will want a high school near their homes.)

(4) Would you or your side ever be in favor of any new PUBLIC school ever being built?

(5) What do you have against new schools being built? What is really behind your opposition? It cannot be money because if you are a property owner, you personally will be out only a few hundred dollars over thirty years at most. So what is really behind the anger?

shelley wrote on May 8, 2008 6:50 AM:Interesting that the Lincoln site has so many problems and could not be the site for a new HS, but yet it is still being used plumbing problems and all!!!

To foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 7:47 AM:Good luck...

OUSD Bond wrote on May 8, 2008 8:38 AM:How about another bond to fund a complete build out of this campus like Oceanside Unified is doing to finish their school projects. I know that would never happen in VUSD. The question is why? OUSD board vs. VUSD board. Quite a difference...

Sam wrote on May 8, 2008 9:24 AM:Foolednomore should be called morefooled. It is too bad the people were more fooled too, lied too, and cheated too. I hope people think twice about voteing for Bonds. How can the VUSD take monies from another school and use it anywhere they want? I think we have been taken to the cleaners again. I wish Oceanside could get out of the Vista School District. SUCKERS' AGAIN!

Shirley wrote on May 8, 2008 4:11 PM:Yes! Finally the school will be built - just in time for my son to go there. And yes, a LOT of his friends also plan to attend. Honestly, I would love it if the school went comprehensive.

To foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 8:24 PM:(1) As I recall Rancho Buena Vista High School was built back in the 1980s. Wasn’t that High School built without the Passage f Prop LL? VUSD didn’t need a 3rd High School until the 1990s. Also, as I recall Vista’s original High School was in the middle of Vista. But, someone arranged a trade between VUSD and the City and City Hall was moved into the old High School. That site could have been utilized for a High School using Modernization Funds from the State if it had not been traded away to the City. Suppose VUSD had taken advantage of Prop 1A Hardship Funds when they initially qualified for them and had built some of the schools they needed back in 2000? Where were you then when Hubbard was openly opposed to taking advantage of California Taxpayer dollars to build much needed schools?
(2) Suppose VUSD had used the money they had in their building fund back in the late 1990s and applied for Modernization Funds (80% match) and used those funds to expand some of the existing schools UPWARD, thereby effectively utilizing both the taxpayers’ money and the taxpayers’ land, and ending overcrowding without the need for a local Bond before Prop O was even put on the Ballot? Where were you on this option, and what do you have against efficient utilization of taxpayer dollars and the responsible use of land, as opposed to the sprawl designs that continue to take more and more land away from farmers and natural habitat?
(3) That would be the fault of the Board Majority and the past Administration who were bent on building New Schools paid for by a local Bond as opposed to Utilizing funds from a State wide bond for which they were eligible.
a. Not enough to justify the Magnet status of these two schools. Besides, to officially qualify as a MAGNET School, the District needs to show they are actually drawing from a cross-section of the community the District Serves. Not simply a local elite population.
(4) Yes. Especially if it were done in an efficient and effective manner, well planned, and built on schedule and within budget.
(5) Nothing, when they are actually needed, and responsibly built.
a. Waste, Fraud, and Abuse of Public Trust!
b. Actually, the base dollars Prop O is costing me is around $18,000 over 30 years. When you calculate the lost revenues (return on investment ) from those dollars it is closer to around $54,000. Some may think that a small amount, but when on a fixed income that can be quite sizable. Especially when all I keep seeing is VUSD wasting those funds, failing to deliver on their promises concerning the total schools to be built (after having mislead the public on the number of schools needed), and worst of all: Failing the children and community by not delivering a quality education.
c. Waste Fraud and Abuse! Indoctrination as opposed to Education! A failed Public Education System that is more about benefits for the Administrators, maximizing revenues to the Unions, tying the hands of teachers, and utterly failing to prepare children for anything more than becoming serfs, beholden to the Government from cradle to grave!

Vista Watchdog wrote on May 8, 2008 8:32 PM:The Lincoln site has to be occupied or else the State will require it be torn down and replaced. If it were to fully close, VUSD could not get it recertified for occupancy as it does NOT meet the California Earth Quake standards, and many other safety standards. The REAL question concerning Lincoln should be, with all the problems and safety issues why are students being forced to use this school when VUSD could have torn it down and rebuilt a New, Modern, Safe, Multi-Story School in its place?

foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 9:13 PM:to Shelley

Yes, the Lincoln site is being used and will continue to be used. However there are not two thousand HIGH school students at the Lincoln site now. The students there are middle school students. They do not drive and there are far fewer of those middle school students than there would be if it were a HIGH school.

HIGH school students require more facilities than middle school. One very important one is a STUDENT parking lot. Look at the immense size of the RBVHS STUDENT parking lot. It has to be ten acres or more in size. There is no room for a STUDENT parking lot at the Lincoln site. The current facility may be painted better than the ugly military green of forty years ago, but the SEWER pipes and WATER pipes are the same. Changing the toilets and washbasins in the bathrooms does not make the too small and clogged up sewer pipes handle any more water. Try flushing TWO toilets at the same time in one of the bathroms there. See what happens. I remember the overflowing toilets and the flooded floors.

The student locker rooms are small, poorly organized and contain many blind corners and allies where no PE coach can supervise. Lots of bad stuff used to happen in those locker rooms. Have they been re-designed so that supervision is possible?

The gym contains only one set of bleachers for both the home and visiting fans to sit in. The mix of the two groups in the one set of seats lead to some bad incidence by the more rowdy male fans. A basketball gym at a high school needs SEPARATE bleachers for home and visting fans. Can you imagine what could happen today in an era of gangs and guns with home and visiting fans mixed together for championship game? Someone has to lose.

I notice that not one of the anti-education crowd wrote in to tell us when they would ever support the building of a new PUBLIC school. I guess their silence means that they would NEVER support our local children having a new school under any circumstances. Had that been the attitude in the 1930's when the bond for the Lincoln site on Escondido Ave passed, I guess all the children in VUSD would be going to school in tents.

foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 9:15 PM:To Sam

East Oceanside is inside the VUSD boundaries because school districts were started long before communities in North County were incorporated. The City of Vista was not an incorporated city when I was a child. The city had no set boundaries. It was a general area. However, VUSD did have boundaries because its founding goes back to early part of the twentieth century (even before I was born!).

When the City of Vista was incorporated in the 1960’s, the city founding fathers decided not to set the CITY of VISTA boundaries to overlap the VISTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT boundaries. They left out the western part of the VUSD lands. Why? Who knows? I do not remember.

For some reason the founding fathers allowed Oceanside to annex land that was traditionally thought of as Vista land. That land which was once west Vista is today called East Oceanside. Maybe someone with a better memory than mine can enlighten us as to why west Vista was given over to Oceanside. I do not remember the reasons except it was something about keeping Vista a rural community.

Foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 10:30 PM:
To Vista watchdog

The Lincoln Middle School site does not met earthquake standards? Really? Exactly how does a school building get an exemption to the FIELD ACT? You know the one passed one month after the Long Beach earthquake in 1933 that destroyed seventy schools. You remember the Act that REQUIRES all buildings used by students at a school site to meet earthquake standards.

You can read all about it at the site below. Here is a statement from that site that might enlighten you: “In 1976 public schools built before the Field Act were phased out of use or retrofitted to comply with the act.” http://www.seismic.ca.gov/pub/Field%20Act%20Findings%20.pdf
So how was has the Lincoln Middle School site been used since 1976 if it did not meet Field Act seismic standards? Do you think your facts might be mixed up again?

To foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 10:35 PM:VUSD recently completed an extensive study of those sewer pipes and found them to be in "amazingly good condition." Nice try on the sewer pipes at Lincoln. Now answer us this one: When will the sewer be installed at the Melrose/76 Site? Yes, students need functioning bathrooms: NOT porta-potties! And, speaking of sewers, isn't it you who keeps bringing up Strawberry Hill, another site that had no sewer hookups available? And as long as we are at it... You mention students needing a student parking lot. Vista High is using a good portion of the student parking lot for portable classrooms. If they were to have used Modernization funds to build the school up to a multi-story school the students would again have a student parking lot at VHS, and we would not need these new schools. Also, as a Magnet school in the middle of Vista, Lincoln would have been well situated to take advantage of Public Transportation at the transportation hub (Sprinter and NCTD Bus) about 1/2 mile away. Finally, if VUSD had not traded away the fine property on which the Original Vista High was located, there would have been plenty of parking available, and plenty of room for future expansion. By the way, what do you have against providing access to those students who would benefit most from having a centrally located magnet school that they could actually walk to?

foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 10:37 PM:To Vista Watch Dog
The current Vista City Hall is located on the first Lincoln Middle School campus. The City Hall site was never a high school campus. The old Vista High School across the street (Escondido Ave) from the first Lincoln Middle School was renamed Lincoln Middle School when the new Vista High was built on Bobier. Very confusing to have two different sites in the district called Lincoln at two different times and two different sites called Vista High at two different times. This is an easy mistake to make. You probably have not been around as long as I have.

foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 10:39 PM:The problem with the Lincoln site is not failure to meet Field Act requirements. The problem at Lincoln is trying to turn it into a HIGH school because of its inadequate SEWERS and its lack of STUDENT PARKING.

I wonder about a two story high school and the Field Act. Wouldn’t such a school be far more dangerous in an earthquake? Aren’t you already worried about earthquakes?

Where would the money come from to clear the site and build a two story high school? I know magically from the mythical funds that the state of California just hands over to school districts who refuse to pass local bonds.

foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 10:45 PM:Today there are more and more homes in Vista housing more than one family. No new developer fees come in for those multiple families and multiple sets of children living in what used to be single family houses and apartments. Yet we have to house those children in our schools. The Developer Fees are running dry. New houses are not being built fast enough, besides most of the land for building new houses has run out. Substantial amounts of developer fees are a thing of the past. They never were enough to pay for building all the schools VUSD needed and in the future the monies are likely to be less and less.

State money is very difficult to get. Far more districts apply and qualify for far more funds then there are ever available when a state bond passes. When the state bond money runs out and Vista did not get enough of it then what? Our children in tents for classrooms? Again I ask Vista Watchdog, did you ever vote for a State bond? If not why not? If you want to use State bond money to build schools in VUSD don't you have to support the passage of state bonds?

History to foolednomore wrote on May 8, 2008 10:46 PM:Nice try on the Vista and VUSD Boundaries and Eastern Oceanside. But, you have it all wrong! Vista Unified did NOT include Eastern Oceanside in 1963, as it was actually part of Unincorporated San Diego County when Vist was incorporated. When the developer came in to build Rancho Del Oro, they approached the City of Vista, but the City was not intereseted. However, Oceanside was. They wanted the community to be in a city so as to obtain city services such as Fire, Police, and road maintenance. But, as Oceanside Unified was not a very highly rated School District, and VUSD was currently at the top in San Diego County, the developer approach VUSD and asked them to annex the community into VUSD. This was so that the developer could have better retail pricing on their homes as the homes would be located within the boundaries of the #1 District in SD County!

Vista Watchdog wrote on May 8, 2008 11:27 PM:Lincoln was built to meet the Field Act of 1933, but does NOT meet the requirements of the Uniform Building Code as amended. The 1933 earthquake did destroy many schools, but the Sylmar quake (February 1, 1971) destroyed the VA Hospital in Simi Valley that was built to the Field Act standards. So, in the 1970's the Uniform Building Code as amended and required all new construction to be built to much greater standards, and older buildings to eventually be retrofitted (I do believe you will find that is one of the reasons Tri-City Hospital keeps trying to pass a Bond, so that they can complete the required retro-fits of the Uniform Building Code as amended). Lincoln is grandfathered in under the Uniform Building Code so long as it remains an "Active" school. Once it is officially closed it cannot be re-occupied as under the Occupancy Requirements of CA Ed. Code, Lincoln as it is currently constructed will not pass. That is why they had to find something to put in there: the Magnet Middle School, or be forced to sell the property. VUSD does not desire to lose this property as it is still too valuable for other uses, and may eventually be rebuilt. Unfortunately Prop O did not contain adequate funding for the replacement of Lincoln unless it was to be completely torn down. This was due to the fact that VUSD was originally selling the Bond on the presumption of needing a 5th Middle School, so Lincoln was not to be abandoned. But, since enrollment dropped, as predicted by some who were against the bond, continuing to operate Lincoln could no longer be justified. You really should try to get your facts straight before you do your blogging, as you will find the actual date for phasing out schools was June 30 1975, unless the District applied for and received and extension. Then the maximum use would end June 30, 1977. However, as noted above, the 1971 quake accelerated the rebuilding of schools such that all schools had been retrofitted by 1976 (the date you quoted). But, you will also find that shortly after the Sylmar Quake and subsequent amending of the Uniform Building Codes, CA Passed Prop 13, significantly limiting funds for new construction and retrofitting of schools to the new requirements. This brought in the Harold F. Greene act of 1976 which created such things as Modernization Funds, and Hardship Funds. These sources of funding could have been used by VUSD to retro-fit Lincoln or actually remove and replace the unsafe structures. But, certain individuals had too much sentimental attachment to the pseudo-historic Administration buildings and balked at the idea of tearing down the old school. So, where do we go from here? What else shall we discuss from our personal histories of Vista and VUSD? Maybe we should attach the actual date that VUSD became Vista “Unified” School District and see how that stands up to the facts (dates) you mention!

History wrote on May 9, 2008 12:07 AM:There were no Bonds required when Lincoln was built. In fact, if you'd paid attention in school you'd know that we were in the middle of the Great Depression in the 1930s, and agricultural communities like Vista didn’t have a whole lot of money. Many schools built in those days in CA were actually Public Works projects funded by the Federal Government to help put people back to work. You will recall from your reading of the Grapes of Wrath that people were heading out of the Dust Bowl (Mid-west) to California to find work. California was not impacted by the Drying out in the Mid-west and in fact was under the influence of an El Nino that was supplying larger than normal amounts of water. This greatly aided CA farmers in becoming one of the largest producers of agricultural goods to the rest of the US. So, with all these people heading west to CA, new schools were needed to educate the many children arriving in the area. Local communities were heavily strapped for funds and could not afford to build these schools. But also, not everyone coming to CA was able to find work, nor were they all suited for agricultural work. President Roosevelt and Congress implemented many public works projects, including the Interstate Highway system, Hoover Dam, and building of Public Facilities such as schools. So, without needing a Local School bond Lincoln was built and the Vista High School District was founded. Oh yes, High School students were now able to leave their tents (they were living in tents) and actually attend school in a brick and mortar facility. By the way, prior to Prop 13 passage, local school bonds were not “passes” by local voters. Rather, the District Board of Trustees would vote to pass the bond and assess the home owners for the Bond. The abuse of this constant assessment, especially as Districts began to approach the June 30 1975 deadline, was one of the driving factors that caused Prop 13 to pass!

whatta waste wrote on May 9, 2008 6:36 AM:enrollments down,bad place for school
in the mean time i'll still be paying
on the bond

foolednomore wrote on May 9, 2008 4:43 PM:Vista Watchdog says, "Lincoln is grandfathered in under the Uniform Building Code so long as it remains an "Active" school." Please give a website that backs up that assertion. Otherwise we will have to assume that you have no basis for your statement.

I gave a government website that backs up my belief that Lincoln Middle School is in compliance with the Field Act. Can you give a verifiable source that disputes my belief and my government website?

foolednomore wrote on May 9, 2008 4:55 PM:History wrote: “you have it all wrong! Vista Unified did NOT include Eastern Oceanside in 1963, as it was actually part of Unincorporated San Diego County when Vist (sic) was incorporated.”

To History, the incorporation of the city of Vista has nothing to do with the establishment of the Vista Unified SCHOOL DISTRICT. The CITY of Vista and the Vista Unified SCHOOL DISTRICT are two completely governing agencies--different governing structures, different boundaries and different histories. They only share some of the same land and the word “Vista.”

I have emailed the Vista Historical Society and asked them to email an explanation as to how east Oceanside got into the Vista Unified School District. I will post any reply I receive.

I lived way out in the country as a child of the late fifties and sixties. Our home was miles from the city. A school bus came to pick up the various children in isolated houses and took us on a morning and evening meandering trip on tiny roads that took more than an hour each way. None of the other children’s homes were in the city either but we all ended up at a district school. There was never any Fallbrook or Oceanside bus out our way. The school district boundaries must have included our homes even though we lived in what was then unincorporated county land.

foolednomore wrote on May 9, 2008 5:00 PM:To history

Could you agree to let the Vista Historical Society to settle the question of where the money came from to build the buildings now called the Magnet Middle School formerly Lincoln Middle School and before that Vista High School.

Are you saying it was a WPA project? Are you also saying that the citizens in the Vista area did nothing to raise any funds to help build it?

History wrote on May 10, 2008 2:34 PM:You were the one who implied that VUSD included East Oceanside back when Vista was incorporated, not I. I never said the two were in any way associated. In fact, I know only too well that the two are separate.
You will find that back in the 1950s when you were picked up by a school bus there was no Vista "Unified" School District. Basically it was similar to what is now Bonsall School District and Fallbrook High School District. Vista "Unified" later.
As for East Oceanside, I do believe you will find that the Vista historical Society probably has little knowledge or concern for Eastern Oceanside. But, I can fill you in on some of the basics: Leo Carrillo purchased a large portion of Northern San Diego County in the early 1900s. He began to parcel out large areas to some of his Hollywood buddies, like John Wayne, Jack Lemon, and others. Lemon actually owned the area now known as Rancho del Oro, and had a large citrus grove, including lemons! In the 1980s the property was sold to a developer who eventually built Rancho del Oro. As stated above, the developer wanted to have the development be part of a city in order to obtain city services. They also wanted to be part of a quality school district to aid in selling their houses for better prices. So, VUD was the school district of choice as it was the best in San Diego County at that time. You will find it very interesting to note that Dr. Guffanti sat on the Board at the time of this annexation of Eastern Oceanside into VUSD. As for why Vista did not annex, that is due to the Mayor and the city Council that had no great desire to see Vista grow. Rather, they wanted it to remain a small, rural community. They are also the reason why Vista has so few sidewalks for school children to use when walking to and from school.

History wrote on May 10, 2008 2:34 PM:As for the building of Lincoln, as I stated before, the citizens of Vista were rather caught up in the middle of the Great Depression. Very few public facilities were paid for by local community funds during that time. If you'd paid attention in school you'd have known that part of history and would not have to even question it. Also, if you knew California history you'd know all about Prop 13 and the reasons for its passage. Prior to Prop 13 School Districts, Cities, Lighting Districts, Sewer Districts, Water Districts, and all other "Special' Districts authorized under the CA Constitution, had the power to asses taxes on home owners and property owners. This sort of thing was taking place on such a regular basis that people were being forced out of their homes due to high taxes. Prop 13 required that these Districts place any bonds on the Ballot and that 2/3 majority voters was required to pass such Bonds. These requirements kept property taxes in check, and to some extent caused these Districts plan and spend their funds more wisely. Unfortunately School Districts found that by holding children hostage by allowing facilities to fall into disrepair they could garner enough support to pass Bonds and then spend the money without any significant oversight. People eventually wised up, and School Districts were having serious problems passing Bonds. So, the Teacher's Union tried to get a new Measure passed that would allow School Bonds to pass with a simple majority. That Measure failed. So they upped the figure to 55%, added some additional phony wording concerning Bond Oversight Committees, and managed to get the voters to pass this Measure by a slim margin (note: it only took a simple majority to overturn a law that required 2/3 voters to approve a Bond. So, since school districts had been routinely getting 55% to 60% support on their Bonds, they figured the 50% required to change the law to a 55% requirement on school bonds was a shoe in. And they were right.). But the down side to Prop 39 was that now local School Bonds were passing at such a High Rate that the Legislature saw no reason to put any State wide school bonds on the Ballot, and also stopped supplying the large matching funds that had typically been seen in the past. Developers also saw this as a good opportunity to argue for lower Developers Fees, as Local Bonds were already in place to build the new schools. So, in the end it is the long time resident who ends up paying again, and again for more and more schools. While new comers get the use of the existing schools without ever having to pay their fair share. Bonds may sound good on the surface, but in the end they significantly hurt all communities. New Developments should be required to pay for the FULL impact of their development upon the community they are joining.

To Foolednomore wrote on May 10, 2008 2:40 PM:Check with VUSD about the Lincoln site. You can also check with the State Architect's Office, San Diego County Office of Education, and the California Department of Education. You will find that Lincoln is questionable at best when it comes to safety requirements, and if "closed" it will be required to fully comply with current standards before it can be re-occupied. I don't need to supply any websites, and for your information your website reference was only a set of interpretations of the Law as they pertain to the History of the law. I have read the Laws and know them only too well as I have worked with them for most of my life!

fooled no more wrote on May 10, 2008 2:53 PM:I called the Vista Historical Society today (Saturday) as my email was returned undeliverable. Jack Larimer answered the phone and then answered the questions in dispute in this blog.

He was kind enough to give me almost an hour of his time. He is a very informed person on Vista history. He once worked at the Vista City Hall. He was brought up locally and his mother worked for the VUSD at Lincoln Middle School. Here is a summary of the notes I scribbled.

(Vista Historical Society will have a new web site in about a week. The old one has been abandoned. The email address at the old site does not work.)

(1) Was the current city hall site ever a high school? The answer is NO.

First elementary school built in Vista was in 1917. Modified building still exists at 644 Vista Village. Second school built was at the current City Hall site. It was originally an elementary school. Then a bond was passed to build Santa Fe Elementary now VAPVA. When Santa Fe was build then the city hall site became a junior high named Lincoln in 1950’s. Then Vista High west of Escondido was built in 1938 but foundation laid 1937. Federal government needed to approve plans. Not a WPA project but there was Federal involvement. There was also a local bond passed. With the construction of the High School and Santa Fe elementary school VUSD hoped to have enough space for all the children in district for many, many years to come. However within five years Crestview was built.

(2) Was east Oceanside incorporated into VUSD as some kind of collusion between developer of Rancho Del Oro and the school district. The answer is NO.

What is now east Oceanside Rancho Del Oro area was long in the VUSD district going back to founding of the Unified district in 1938. There have been some major and minor VUSD boundary shifts since VUSD was founded but that area was in VUSD since it became a unified District in 1938. The biggest change was a major SIZE REDUCTION in VUSD when all the land north of San Luis Rey River was given to Bonsall elementary and Fallbrook High School Districts. Other minor changes Elevado part was added to VUSD because students from houses there had to physically go through Vista Unified to get to Bonsall. Also When College Boulevard was built the nearby wavering line between Oceanside Unified and Vista Unified was straightened to go down the center of College Boulevard. Also an error was made by the original engineer hired to write the description of VUSD boundaries in 1938. He took the easy way out and used a section boundary in the north west corner of the district instead of writing another page or two describing the property boundaries south of the San Luis Rey River. That is why part of the site for the dual magnet high schools north of 76 ended up in Fallbrook High School and Bonsall districts. Hence a land swap was needed to make the site available for the new Dual Magnet High Schools. A record of all school boundary changes can be found at the County Supervisor’s offices in San Diego and possibly at the County Board of Education as well.

(3) Was the dual magnet site (recently the site of Lincoln Middle School) financed by the federal government? Yes and no. There was federal involvement but Mr. Larimer believes there was a local school bond issue passed as well. There are microfiche records of the old Vista Press at the city library containing articles telling about the construction in the 1937 and 1938 newspapers. Anyone who wishes to can look up stories from that time and say exactly. However there were bond issues being passed even back then. The problem with rapid growth in Vista started with a bond issue and the formation of the Vista Irrigation Company in the 1920's, before that there was not enough water to grow.

Jack Larimer also mentioned that Rick Hall did a study for VUSD about using the Lincoln site and the City Hall Site together as a high school with bridges crossing over Escondido Avenue between the two sites. the plan had to be approved by the state and the state said, "No" to the combined site.

Mr. Larimer suggests that more details can be found in a book called the History of Vista by Doyle or History of the Vista Unified School District written in 1992 sold at Rancho Buena Vista or the History of Northern San Diego County written by a Union Tribune reporter. Also I know that Donna Harper wrote a View of Vista that might be useful.

Field Act wrote on May 10, 2008 3:01 PM:You will note that the Long Beach Quake happened in the 1930's yet buildings had 40 years to comply with the Field Act. Lincoln was built after the Field Act but well before the Sylmar Quake of 1971. So, once again existing building are given 40 years (the typical life expectancy of a school building is 50 years, unless it is built using modular construction, then it is 30 years). So, it can easily be seen how Lincoln could be acceptable for use so long as it continues to be used, but require significant retrofitting should it be closed, and then attempted to be re-opened. The Uniform Building Codes used by the State Architects Office and the Department of Education would need to be met if the school were to be re-opening as a new school. Eventually, Lincoln will hit its limits sometime around 2012, and will no longer be suitable for any use as a school facility unless it is significantly re-fitted.
Question: Why s foolednomore so against responsible use of taxpayer funds and taxpayer property? Are they really that irresponsible or simply that ignorant of how Governments have been abusing taxpayer funds.

fooled no more wrote on May 11, 2008 2:12 PM:To Field Act regarding, "against responsible use of taxpayer funds","irresponsible", and "ignorant" and the over the top term "abusing taxpayer funds"

Question:

Why are you so prone to using insults instead of facts that can be independently verified?

Samuel to FNM wrote on May 11, 2008 8:39 PM:I admit that you are the king or queen blogger over these last several weeks since no one else has approached your number of submissions. Since your submissions just started recently one could have assumed that your interest in the VUSD fiasco just started. You confirmed my belief by questioning the well known fact that OUR taxpayer funds had been wasted or abused. The Bond Oversight Committee’s (BOC) November 2002 minutes document the fact that the Hannalei and Temple Heights projects were a combined $580,000 over budget and that it would (and did) get worse. Not only did every project on the Prop O list come in over budget but the three-person Board majority voted to sign an incomplete contract on the Mission Vista project jeopardizing even more of the taxpayers’ money. My comments are easily verifiable and if you choose to accept them as insults that is your problem. In the future I suggest that it would help your cause if you would take the time to explain your comments especially when so many people have disagreed with most of them.

To Foolednomore wrote on May 13, 2008 1:56 AM:You should have written a piece called "How VUSD Began Because I was There.", because you have missed the point entirely! The point is that the Bond money has been misspent (constant cost overruns) and the Board Majority put this project off to the very end, so that they could push it through and get what they wanted all along (a comprehensive high school). I believe that there are those who still believe that if VUSD had taken the opportunity over 3 years ago and pursued the chance of demolishing Lincoln and rebuilding with new, stick built buildings that today we wouldn't be having this inane discussion. Alas, the Board Majority drove the Disneyland Express and here we are. It would have saved many millions and I know how you like to research, so start with Lincoln High School in San Diego. They rebuilt on the same site and for the cost of what is being spent we are getting a trailer park high school while they have a spanking brand new building and complex. All stick built and no trailers! Imagine what could have happened if the Board Majority could actually listen to common sense and not allow politics to rule the day! I can tell that you are a teacher and that you like facts. So, here we go, the biggest fact is that out of 23 (approximately) building projects that VUSD has done in the past say 4 to 5 years only one has come in under budget, and that is Guajome Park Academy. It doesn’t bode well for this new Edge contract, does it? By the way, that is the article that you were blogging on. Edge has never come in under contract, period! If they have, I will stand remiss and I apologize in advance, but to my knowledge they haven’t. So, please stop the history lesson and start working to make VUSD better by supporting the current administration and being less antagonistic towards others. What truly matters in this school district and what we should be concerned about is; Can Johnny read, write, and do arithmetic? We need to focus on student success, not whether or not who is factually correct in the blog.

To Foolednomore wrote on May 14, 2008 3:22 PM:And with the reputation of the Union Tribune concerning getting the Facts correct, I'm supposed to believe the book write by a UT reporter? And who reviewed the Doyle books sold at Rancho Buena Vista? You know, if they are not Peer Reviewed, and most History Books of this sort are not, then the data contained therein is questionable at best.

But, who really cares as this is not about who built what with what money. This is about educating our children and the responsible use of taxpayer funds. As I stated before, VUSD could have built many schools much earlier without the passage of a Local School Bond. But, people like David Hubbard open stated they didn't want to take State money or other forms of funding. Rather, they wanted LOCAL TAXPAYERS to foot the bill, so that they would "Take Pride" in the schools being built. Now I ask you, "how can any of us take pride in shcools that are failing our children, regardless of who paid to have them built?