BONSALL: New district leader, two months in, facing tough issues
Justin Cunningham a hit with locals, but must solve transportation crisis
By TOM PFINGSTEN - Staff Writer | ∞
Justin Cunningham, the new superintendent of the Bonsall Union School District, shakes hands with Thomas Ricks, as he and fellow second-graders make their way into the school cafeteria for lunch on Wednesday. (Photo by Don Boomer - Staff Photographer) BONSALL ---- Standing inside a new cafeteria at Bonsall Elementary School on Wednesday, Justin Cunningham surveyed the hundreds of children eating lunch inside and nodded.
"There's the future of the community," said the new superintendent of schools.
Since July 1, Cunningham has been in charge of the Bonsall Union School District and its four campuses, where about 1,900 children from Bonsall and Pala attend classes.
He said Wednesday that he has been trying to figure out solutions to problems such as the unpopular school board decision earlier this year to cancel all school bus transportation within the sprawling, 88-square-mile district. Previously, about 700 students used the school buses.
During the first week of school, which began Monday, that debate took on new life as local roads were choked each morning and afternoon with parents trying to get their kids to class.
"The issue of transportation being eliminated was something I had to deal with right away," said Cunningham, who said his first two months as head of the district have brought "a lot of challenges."
He said another sort of crisis arose when enrollment surged in the last few weeks before school, prompting him to hire new teachers at the last minute.
Mass layoffs by budget-crunched districts earlier this year throughout the state created "a buyer's market" for schools looking for new teachers, he said, adding that he received 200 applications for one of those last-minute teaching positions.
Preparing for the school year also brought positive experiences, he said.
"I'm enjoying it very, very much," said Cunningham. "It's a wonderful group of people to work with, and a wonderful community."
Many in the community seem to return the admiration.
"He is really something ---- something and a half," said school board member Dick Olson.
Among other ideas Cunningham has for improving the district, Olson said, "He has a real plan for doing some great things for Vivian Banks, raising the test scores and doing it the right way ---- pulling these kids rather than pushing them. We're really lucky to have him."
Vivian Banks is the district's charter school at the Pala Indian reservation, and has historically struggled the most to meet government benchmarks on standardized tests.
Transportation: a demanding issue
While there are plenty of other things going on within the boundaries of the Bonsall school district, everyone seems to be talking about one issue in particular: transportation.
One parent, Michael Laborde, said that he had to alter his work schedule in order to make sure he could pick up his twin boys in kindergarten and a daughter in second grade at Bonsall Elementary School every afternoon.
Because kindergartners and second-graders are released at different times, that means three daily trips from the family's home near Interstate 15 to the elementary school.
"It'll take us 30 to 45 minutes to get in, pick (the younger kids) up and drive home, and same with my daughter in the afternoon ---- it takes us about an hour to pick her up," said Laborde. "Tomorrow, everybody's released at 1:30. So that's going to be complete chaos, I'm assuming."
The district has already called two buses back into service, to sweep through the outer reaches of the district and serve the families that would be most hard-pressed to make several long round-trips a day.
Cunningham said he wants to add two more routes that would serve some of the large neighborhoods within the district, such as Lake Rancho Viejo near Interstate 15 and Highway 76.
Laborde, who lives at Lake Rancho Viejo, said that would make his life a lot easier, saying "You have little kids, and you want to make sure they're getting to and from school safely."
Still, reinstated bus routes may not last long, depending on how state officials choose to fund home-to-school transportation, said Cunningham.
"To some degree, this is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, because we've got an aging bus fleet," and a new school bus costs upwards of $100,000, he said.
Traffic has been hectic at all four campuses this week, but it has been particularly bad at Bonsall Elementary School because $25 million worth of construction is still under way at the 850-student main campus, Cunningham said.
Crews are still working on a drop-off lane that will help ease the flow of traffic at the campus, but until then traffic is likely to be snarled for a portion of each day, said Cunningham.
"We're tuning things up so it'll be better," he said. "We do need to see what we can do to get more cars off the road and save our parents gas money."
Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 740-3516 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com.
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Very Caring Parent wrote on Aug 27, 2008 5:47 PM:THANK YOU Dr. Cunningham (Super.) & Wayne Jones (assistant super.) for being out there on the road and in the parking lot helping direct traffic. Sure its been a crazy first couple days but its always been that way the first week of school. My friends and I are working on our carpooling needs. The budget still isn't finalized PEOPLE, there was an article today stating our governor will not be at convention due to trying to make ends with the budget in California. Give a smile & wave tomorrow to our new superintendent, he's trying his best!
WHAT wrote on Aug 27, 2008 9:48 PM:THE ASST.SUPER IS THE REASON WE ARE IN THIS MESS, IT WAS HIS SUGGESTION TO GET RID OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE FIRST PLACE. THINK ABOUT IT?, WE WANT TO PAY FOR TRANSPORTATION AND WHY ISN'T THIS HAPPENING? WELL MR. JONES? WE WANT OUR BUSES BACK. DIDN'T DR. COEN STATE AT ONE OF THE BOARD MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE THE MONEY, WE HAVE A 12 0/0 RESERVE, AND ISN'T THIS AN EMEREGENCY. PARENTS LETS BE AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING ON SEPT. 16 AND LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD,OTHERWISE PREPARE TO PUT UP WITH THIS ALL YEAR.
YUP wrote on Aug 28, 2008 7:03 AM:The school board is the NUMBER ONE reason I pulled m children from the district. Happy I am glad I didn't have to deal with sitting in a car for 1 1/2 hours to get my kids from two different schools
Larry wrote on Aug 28, 2008 7:23 AM:Eliminating transportation was the cowardly decision the board decided to take. It was easier for them to do this than to target a few less popular cuts. With the last minute surge in enrollment and more ADA funding coming in, what are the chances of restoring some of the transportation?
Oside mom wrote on Aug 28, 2008 8:29 AM:Your chance to replace at least two school board members has passed by. The two incumbents who were up for reelection in November had no opponents, therefore automatically serve 4 more years. If you aren't part of the solution, then are you part of the problem?
Bonsall West Dad wrote on Aug 28, 2008 12:09 PM:My children attend Bonsall West Elementary School. My concern is the kids who ARE NOT in our district who, for the sake of convenience, are enrolled at Bonsall West. Typically, I see kids who live in the adjoining neighborhood to the west, (who really should go to Oceanside Unified schools) attending our school.
Dont Count On It wrote on Aug 28, 2008 2:18 PM:Larry, do not count on any restoration. The unions will insist that any increase in funds go to their salaries and benefits. Why do you think programs like Music, Art, Drama, etc are cut to begin with?
Have you ever seen any of these programs restored once a district receives enough money to restore the programs? Seldom to never as the unions always claim the additional money goes in their pocket and will strike to get the funds.
After all, most times the programs were originally cut to avoid the threat of a strike to begin with. So, I would say your chance of having trasnportation restored completely, or without some kind of fee, is pretty slim to none.
Bonsall Parent wrote on Aug 28, 2008 7:19 PM:I know that the first couple of days at Bonsall were a bit hectic...but things are looking up. Let's try to see some of the positive in all of this. Traffic IS getting better, I have been at the board meetings...WHERE HAVE YOU ALL BEEN???
When you actually SHOW UP to teh board meetings you hear the truth, not rumors!!!
To Bonsall West DAD wrote on Aug 29, 2008 6:59 AM:To Bonsall West dad: Ever heard of NCLB??Those kids have a right to go to YOUR school. So get over yourself.
By the way:NCLB stands for No Child Left Behind.
BW wrote on Aug 29, 2008 11:00 AM:NCLB has nothing to do with interdistrict transfers. That would mean we wouldn't have borders for school districts. Children are let in and refused for many different reasons. It is usually based on enrollment at the time.
To Bonsall Parent wrote on Aug 30, 2008 8:21 AM:I have been to MANY board meetings, and most of their decisions are made behind closed doors, during their closed session dinner meetings! We have a pathetic board who utilizes backdoor politics and doesnt take into consideration the publics input or ideas. Our board thinks they are above everyone else and does nothing for the benefit of this community!
THANKS to Superintendent wrote on Aug 30, 2008 8:59 AM:Its about time we have a superintendent who actually gets in the trenches and digs with the rest of us. Maybe the Asst. Superintendent should take notes and follow his example! Bonsall would not be a community without BONSALL ELEMENTARY, that school is the center of this area, without it Bonsall would just be a passing intersection. THINK ABOUT IT!
Proof Positive wrote on Aug 30, 2008 9:20 AM:We are all very fortunate to have a strong and compassionate leader in Dr. Justin Cunningham. The traffic issue will work itself out, and we can all start to focus positively on the great education that our children are receiving in the Bonsall schools.
Glad Im out wrote on Aug 30, 2008 8:24 PM:The writer of WHAT hit it right on the head! This whole situatioin is due to Mr. Wayne Jones and his personal agenda!! I want to know how it the heck that man still has a job, possibly he has his hand in someones pocket? I have talked to many employees of Bonsall and they even don't understand why someone who comes in 7 million over budget on the new school still has a job. Then to get rid of transportation when many optionis could have been looked at makes you wonder! Maybe the administration should have taken a pay cut, because from what I see they have way too many secretaries doing the job of the Ass. Superintendent and how did he come to be the Ass. Super, I thought he was hired to be the business manager. Boy I bet he was hot under the collar when they passed him up and hired Mr. Cunningham instead of making him Superintendent. Hopefully Mr. Cunningham will set him straight and let him know that he is in charge not Wayne Jones!!!!!!!!!!!
Agree wrote on Aug 31, 2008 4:24 PM:To--- glad i'm out.I AGREE, I AGREE. Why has Mr. Jones been allowed to keep his job? He wants everyone to think he is important,as he gets all the credit while his sectretaries do all the work. But of course these Board Members are blinded by him and can not see the real man. Business Manager? Oh please, if he managed the Bonsall School Districts money properly, maybe different avenues could of been done with regards to spenditures for the new school. And transportation, well why in the world don't they charge for transportation? Board Members ------ wake up ---- see the writing on the wall ------ Mr. Jones does not want it to work ------ other districts charge and students are getting to school, parents are happy etc.
Positive wrote on Sep 6, 2008 7:40 AM:We finally have a leader who cares about what is important - the kids! The last superintendent left the district in turmoil and with low morale. His agenda was about him. Dr. Cunningham seems to be on the right track. Let's give him a chance.
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