Ortega, Flanagan, Nordeen, Costa, Johnson and Olson selected to superintendent’s advisory committee

The Bonsall Unified School District board meeting, Nov. 9, saw the selection of Eric Ortega, Tom Flanagan, Eric Nordeen, Kassandra Costa, Jeff Johnson and Brian Olson to the superintendent’s advisory committee which will identify and analyze sites for a new high school campus.

The BUSD board voted 4-0, with Dick Olson not present, to approve the selection of the six committee members along with alternates for four of the areas and four additional committee members from the school district and the Bonsall Community Sponsor Group.

“I really appreciate the community members that did submit an application whether they were accepted or not,” BUSD superintendent David Jones said.

Applications to serve on the committee were due Oct. 31, and the completed applications were forwarded to each BUSD board member Nov. 2. The plans to choose six committee members along with an alternate from each geographic area were altered when two of the areas had only one applicant in which case no alternate was chosen.

Ortega represents the Pala area east of Couser Canyon Road and was the only applicant. Flanagan will represent the Rancho area east of Interstate 15 and west of the Pala area, and David Toney was selected as that area’s alternate. Nordeen is the representative from the Gird Road area north of state Route 76 and west of I-15 with Kara LaRussa being chosen as the Gird Road area alternate.

Costa will represent the Sullivan Middle School area north of Camino Del Rey, south and east of SR-76 and west of I-15, and her alternate will be Larissa Anderson. Johnson will be the representative for the Bonsall Elementary School area south of Camino Del Rey, which did not have a second application for an alternate. Brian Olson represents the Bonsall West area west of the SR-76 bend, and his alternate is Eric Ford.

The committee also includes Bonsall High School Superintendent Lee Fleming, Bonsall Teachers Association President Julie Urquhart, BUSD Assistant Superintendent for Business and Administrative Services William Pickering and Bonsall Community Sponsor Group Chair Margarette Morgan.

The committee members will be authorized to obtain advice and guidance from professionals with school site selection, school funding, facility planning or design, environmental planning and real estate experience. Some of those will be present at the advisory committee meetings.

“We’re going to compare all these things and come up with an organized template,” Jones said.

The school district has contracted with a real estate professional to identify all possible sites within the district boundaries which have a minimum of 30 acres including 25 acres outside the 100-year flood plain and access to a public street.

“The board will decide which one is the best for our children,” Jones said. “We’re going to bring the final recommendation to the board in January, and the goal would be for them to vote on a location in January and move forward.”

The committee will be tasked with identifying and analyzing all possible sites, including the current location on the Sullivan Middle School campus, to determine the best long-term solution. The committee’s duties include identifying and analyzing multiple sites for a high school, providing a report to the BUSD board for review which compares each of the sites including known limitations and potential costs, obtaining site-specific information and incorporating existing information into an analysis and review and recommending at least two sites to the BUSD board. The committee will also provide written reports about meetings, recommendations and actions on a regular basis as well as writing a final report.

“We will place the school in a location that's going to be good for children,” Jones said. “I think the most important thing for the community to know is that we really value our children and education. It’s a growing community and we must build a high school for these children.”

Jones may also utilize the committee for other activities if warranted.