VISTA -- Twenty-one percent of the administrators who run the Vista Unified School District have left this year, prompting parents and educators to question whether the exodus is healthy or harmful.

Some have complained that an ever-increasing focus on test scores and the way Superintendent Joyce Bales' leadership team operates is causing morale to plummet and good people to leave the district.

"I believe it's going to have a lasting effect on the community," Trustee Carol Herrera said of the departures. "I feel like we've lost too many and I'm not sure that we've seen the end of it yet."

In contrast, school board President Jim Gibson said he thinks the turnover is positive.

"The new direction is to make Vista Unified the best school district in San Diego County," he said.

The school board unanimously hired Bales in June 2006 with a clear mandate: improve literacy and test results in the district, which had struggled with low scores for years.

"We weren't interested in the same ol', same ol'," Gibson said. "We hired someone who would get the job done."

Some schools saw impressive gains on standardized tests this year, although districtwide scores continued a trend of modest annual increases.

What exactly has led to the higher test scores and administrator departures has been the subject of plenty of debate throughout the year at board meetings, in mass e-mails and in teachers lounges.

Turning over

Since January, 17 of the district's roughly 80 administrators have either resigned or retired, including eight out of 29 principals.

Neighboring and similarly sized Oceanside Unified School District, in contrast, lost six administrators this year, officials there said.

In the past, Vista Unified typically hasn't lost more than five or so administrators each year.

Some parents and teachers have said that Bales' aggressive management style has caused many of the administrators to leave, while others say it has more to do with increased pressure to perform. Bales didn't respond to requests for comment last week.

Board Vice President Steve Lilly said he thinks the departures have been caused by a combination of things, including planned retirements, better opportunities and administrative changes.

"The change process is never totally smooth and never totally comfortable for all involved," he said. "It always brings a level of resistance."

Regardless, Lilly said he has been pleased with the quality and quantity of candidates who have applied to replace the administrators who left.

Still, Angela Chunka, president of the districtwide Parent-Teacher Association council, said she and other parents are worried that the "mass exodus" could end up harming education in the classroom.

"It's extremely detrimental to the kids because there's no continuity," said Chunka, the mother of three students in district schools. "I don't see anyone happy with any of this."

'Golden opportunities'

Few who have left have been willing to talk about why. Most of those who did explain their departures said either that they retired simply because the time was right or they moved on because they found another job that was too good to pass up.

Erin English, who will be leaving her post as principal at Mission Meadows at the end of the month, said her decision to leave had nothing to do with politics or Bales' management style.

"I've never had anything against Dr. Bales," English said. "Joyce does have an agenda to have all children reading. I respect that and don't see how anyone could argue with it."

For Monica Nava, who left the district in September to take a job at the San Diego County Office of Education, it was the chance to affect the learning of students throughout the county that she couldn't refuse.

"These positions don't really open up that often," the former English Language Development coordinator said. "This was just one of those golden opportunities."

Reports of bad morale

Administrator departures reached abnormal levels this summer, when three principals resigned and two high-level administrators retired.

Many teachers and parents spoke up to express their concerns after they heard rumors that Bales pushed the principals out of the district, along with Assistant Superintendent Gail Ryan, whose job included supervision of principals.

Kim Tullis, the former principal at Bobier Elementary School who said she was forced to resign last year, said morale in the district has been "toxic" since Bales took over.

"Nobody is happy," she said. "We knew that there was something wrong pretty quickly, because there was no attempt (from Bales) to build relationships."

Gail Ryan's retirement was a turning point for the district, she said, alerting other administrators that conditions were changing in the district office.

"Gail was adored by everybody," Tullis said. "If she's going to lose her job, then something's really wrong."

Gibson disagreed, saying he thinks the mood in the district is better now than it has been in years, largely because of Bales' work to increase the quality of education.

"People who are working hard are getting recognized," he said. "People who are not working hard are also getting recognition, but not in a positive way."

Lilly said he thinks morale is higher than it was 12 months ago for some educators and lower for others.

"I tend to believe that morale is in the eye of the beholder," he said.

Contact staff writer Stacy Brandt at (760) 901-4009 or sbrandt@nctimes.com.

Administrators who resigned or retired from the Vista Unified School District

this year:

- Erin English, principal at Mission Meadows Elementary School, resigned this

month.

- Carrie Brown, principal at Beaumont Elementary School, resigned this month.

- Tim Tanner, principal at Monte Vista Elementary School, resigned this month.

- Karl Bradley, chief facilities officer, resigned Oct. 24.

- Tony Mora, assistant principal at Washington Middle School, resigned Oct. 19.

- Chuck Taylor, chief operations officer, retired Sept. 11.

- Gail Ryan, assistant superintendent, retired Sept. 1.

- Monica Nava, coordinator of English learner development, resigned Aug. 31.

- Bob Pletka, associate superintendent, resigned July 31.

- Edgar Flota, assistant principal at Vista High School, resigned July 30.

- Judy Tillyer, principal at Grapevine Elementary School, retired July 7.

- Kim Tullis, principal at Bobier Elementary School, resigned July 1.

- Janet Whiddon, principal at Washington Middle School, resigned July 1.

- Hector Menchaca, principal at Maryland Elementary School, resigned July 1.

- John Deavers, assistant principal at Rancho Buena Vista, retired July 1.

- Larrie Hall, principal at Rancho Minerva Middle School, resigned June 26..

- Dan Love, transportation manager, resigned March 23.