Encinitas is on the Right Course Two years ago, voters in Encinitas showed their commitment to and satisfaction with their commitment to and satisfaction with their schools by passing a $29.5 million bond by a 3-to-1 margin. Today, how fast that bond money is making its way into the schools has become the top issue in the race by six people for three open seats on the Encinitas Union School District board. That in itself says volumes about the district. While many school systems are grappling with deteriorating student performance, exploding dropout rates and violence on campus, Encinitas' biggest problem - to oversimplify it slightly - is that its administrators aren't spending the money they were given fast enough. It's understandable that some parents, having voted to tax themselves to improve their schools, would be disappointed at not seeing faster results from the bond. We, too, would like to see the district moving faster, but we recognize it is being hampered by the state bureaucracy, which must approve many of the renovation plans if the district is to get matching state funds. More has been done with the bond money than many parents realize - which lends credence to one complaint about communication - but the board and administration appear to be moving ahead responsibly, something few taxpayers could fault. For whatever faults they may have - and no school system is without them - it's hard to dispute that Encinitas' schools are among the best around educationally. Student performance on tests is exemplary. Six schools in the district have won Distinguished Schools awards from the state, and parental involvement is high throughout the nine-school district, which serves 5,000 students in Encinitas and La Costa. With that as backdrop, we would have to argue that there is little reason to oust either of the two incumbents, William Parker and Cathy Regan, both of whom have proven thoughtful, diligent board members and have a good grasp of the issues and an understanding of the complexities of public education. But the challengers' complaints should not be entirely dismissed, either; there is room for improvement. The most articulate voice for that dissent, and the person we think is most likely to bring sound fiscal oversight to the board, is Dennis Lhota. An aide to area Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian, and a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission, Lhota is critical of the board but not overly antagonistic about it. He would push the administration to use the bond money in the older schools, where it is needed most, but as a fiscal conservative, would also help en- sure it is spent wisely. Lhota is a strong advocate for parental rights and involvement, technology in the classroom (but not at the expense of a strong academic foundation) and a supporter of public education. His experience in Sacramento politics could prove valuable in dealing with the state education bureaucracy, which the district will be forced to do as it fights for a share of matching funds for its bond money. The Encinitas Union School District has much to be proud of and is on the right course. Parker, Regan and Lhota are the best choices to keep it moving. |
