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Bonsall school board hears updates, perspectives on reopening schools

The Bonsall Unified School District Governing Board Wednesday, Sept. 9, heard from district representatives and employee unions on a variety of issues, but the majority of the discussion centered around the reopening of Bonsall schools.

In the superintendent’s report, Superintendent David Jones swore in a student representative to the board and gave an update on the district’s progress in having students return to campus in the near future.

“We have a great interest in getting the kids back to school as soon as possible in this situation. I also want to thank the students, the teachers, people have been very flexible and doing everything they can to learn everything they need to the site principals to make the best of the situation. It's absolutely not ideal. We get it, we hear you, and we are very concerned and we want to do the best we can to get the kids back to school as soon as possible.”

He said the next step is negotiations that the district is currently engaging in with the Bonsall Teachers Association.

“That's the next step and that's what we're in the midst of,” Jones said. “And when that's finalized we'll be able to bring the kids back. Our plan has been approved by the board and we are ready to bring kids back. … And we're prepared to do that as soon as we possibly can.”

He said the district is attempting to survey the parents to find out which model of learning they would prefer for their children.

“But the earliest we'd be able to do so would be the beginning of the second quarter of the school year,” Jones said. “We also want to know is, what do the parents want? Would it be better for you to come for half days or would it be better for you to come full days, one to two days a week or two to two and a half days a week? Full days or half days? That's the purpose of the survey. In addition to getting an idea of how many would want to keep their kids at home, because we're going to take that feedback and work on developing the schedule to the best of our ability that will meet the needs of the majority of our parents.”

During the reports section of the meeting, a Bonsall Teachers Association representative talked about the prospect of bringing students back to campuses.

“I am a full-time classroom teacher and have been working 12 to 16 hour days to ensure the best educational experience for my students in this virtual environment while also working to ensure our members are protected and valued during this trying time,” she said. “I love both of my jobs, but at this time, one is being made much more difficult as I am consistently having to fight for the things we have been promised. As we continue to progress throughout the year, we ask the board, our site, and district administrators and our families to temper the excitement of returning to in person classes. With the knowledge that school will look significantly different for staff and students, there are bound to be a new array of challenges yet unknown, and that the health and safety of every individual that walks onto our campus must be our first and top priority.”

In board reports, governing board member Michael Gaddis expressed a desire to embrace certain aspects of virtual learning and explained how it might help the district.

“I want to look at this from a different perspective, just for a minute,” he said. “I think that this distance learning, this virtual learning, is an opportunity for Bonsall Unified School District because what we're doing to create during the COVID is a good infrastructure. If we really took an opportunity, we could try to create a virtual learning system to appeal to kids in the future. Maybe this is a good model for them because while some might not like virtual learning, there are a lot of kids out there maybe that are homeschooled or that do other things that might be interested in doing virtual learning in the future.

“If we took what we learned through this COVID situation and we created a virtual learning department where we could try to appeal to students, maybe not just in our district, but from other districts and throughout the state. I know there are schools that do this, where they can offer a virtual learning system and they can grow. They can grab students and it could help us with our ADA and in the future.

“I'd hate to create all of this infrastructure and have all of these ideas and systems in place and then once this COVID situation is over just to just get rid of it. I think there's an opportunity here for us to kind of think outside the box and create something for this school district that might be unique that might appeal to a lot of kids.”

In closed session, board member Larissa Anderson reported that the board considered the appointment, employment, evaluation of performance, discipline, transfer or dismissal of employees; discussed its position regarding collective bargaining with the Bonsall Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association in order to direct the Superintendent as chief negotiator for contracts; and conferenced with real property negotiators regarding the Ocean Breeze Ranch Project and the Gird Road property owned by BUSD.

The board of trustees unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included the ratification of the personnel register, revolving cash report, commercial warrant report, purchase order report, the adoption of the fiscal year 2020-21 updated annual resolution authorizing designated agents, and made a declaration of obsolete curriculum supporting documents.

The board held a public hearing about the district’s learning and continuity attendance plan

In action items, the board approved a memorandum of understanding between BUSD and the Bonsall Teachers Association regarding schools reopening and the work year as it relates to COVID-19, approved an MOU between the district and the California School Employees Association Regarding Cal-OSHA regulation covering wildfire exposure, and approved the 2019-20 Gann Limit Resolution 20-09-01.

They also heard and approved the fiscal year 2019-20 unaudited actuals financial report, approved the 2020-21 Consolidated Application for funding for Title I, II, II and IV, and approved a contract with Infinity Communications & Consulting, Inc. for district e-rate services.

The board also approved the renewal of independent contractor agreements with Tamra Simpson and Rodrigo Perez, ratified tuition agreements for special education students who attend out-of-district programs in Vista, approved a renewal agreement with the Regents of the University of California, and approved a nonpublic agency master contract with North County Family Counseling.

They also approved the CSBA Exception Report Checklist and a resolution updating and amending BUSD’s conflict of interest code.

A special teleconference meeting of the governing board will be held Wednesday, Sept. 23, to approve the district’s LCAP.

Jeff Pack can be reached by email at [email protected].

 

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