Comments on: Del Mar school board strikes a blow against kids

By: Concerned Parent

Concerned Parent — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:28:08 +0000

Dear disappointed parent,
The DMSEF should not be the one punished (or the kids that benefit from the DMSEF's funds) because some community member are overzealous with their own ideas of education. Our Foundation is a model for other communities across the state who would do anything to have the type of ESC program that we are able to have through generous parent contributions. By not contributing to the DMSEF, you are letting the bad guys win, and keeping our children from the level of education that they deserve. You may not have an interest in contributing to the DMSEF but you still have a parental obligation to do so.

By: Hilltopper

Hilltopper — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:26:10 +0000

The Board had a choice. They did not have the choice of continuing the program under the current funding conditions, but – according to Superintendent Peabody – they did have the option of continuing the program under different funding.

They chose to discontinue it. The unanswered question is – why?

By: Community member

Community member — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:20:38 +0000

My school kept each of these, but allocated them differently based on grade level. Kindergarteners get much less ESC than 6th graders. I am not privvy to the the details of the principal's discussions, but I get the feeling there is more than one way to skin the cat.

By: JPDM

JPDM — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:19:27 +0000

Not that I ever received! I have 2 children at the Heights. This appears to be misleading information being spread around the district.

By: randomheightsparent

randomheightsparent — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:11:47 +0000

We could only have music if we gave up either art or PE. There was not funding for three positions, and tough choices had to be made. What did your school choose?

By: Parent

Parent — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:50:28 +0000

The Board needs to put this on the agenda and explain the rules and how it all works. I know I don't understand it. I would love to have it explained once again and re-evaluated to see if it is in fact equality or if it is unfair. How does one get an item on the agenda? Who sets the agenda?

By: DMUSD parent

DMUSD parent — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:44:14 +0000

The Heights could have music and instrument instruction. The principal chooses what the ESC money goes toward. You could easily have had music this year.

By: randomheightsparent

randomheightsparent — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:10:20 +0000

Not lashing out — she's a good friend, and she laughed at the idea that her school would give money to the Foundation when it didn't need to in order to have its ESC programs funded. This is reality, and if you find it inflammatory then you should work to change this reality. You speak of all the schools having the same things, but this is not and can never be the situation under the current distribution system. The bigger schools will always have more programs, and the smaller schools are prohibitted from funding these programs on their own.

What was particularly frustrating at the last Board meeting was the Board members' lack of awareness of the way funds are distributed among the schools. One of the Board members from a larger school in the district commented "well we still have instruments and band." No, "we" don't. You do. Schools like the Heights will never have music, instrument instruction, or band under the current system.

No one objects to giving more than their share. What is frustrating is being told that no matter how much you give, there is simply no way to have what other schools have.

By: Parent

Parent — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:37:33 +0000

“The Heights feels they raise more money than they get back,” Peabody said. “They’re right. They get about 80 percent back. I understand their position.”

So, what do the other schools get? Why do we only know the about the Heights? Surely, they aren't the only ones who get an uneven distribution. They started the conversation, now let's talk.

By: Hilltopper

Hilltopper — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:11:02 +0000

According to superintendent Peabody there were legal ways to fund this program and keep it intact for the students.

Apparently the way it was funded was not proper – although it apparently had the oversight and blessing of the Superintendent.

The Board had two options:

1) Adopt the modifications referred to by Peabody to make the program street legal (kids win)
2) punish the school for whatever it did wrong, and scuttle the program (kids lose)

Why they chose the latter course is explicable only if you assume some political force which is more intent on its years long campaign of punishing the Heights than it is on providing the students with foreign language education.