The Coast News INLAND EDITION
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ESCONDIDO, SAN MARCOS, VISTA
VOL. 7, N0. 6
MARCH 18, 2022
School district layoffs leave many stunned By Stephen Wyer
SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES on March 7 responded to a report of a student carrying a gun on the campus of Rancho Buena Vista High School in Vista, but parents and students only learned of the threat an hour after it was reported. Photo via Twitter/News Flash Media
School officials criticized for threat response By Stephen Wyer
VISTA — Parents and students at Rancho Buena Vista High School are outraged over what they call a disorganized and ineffectual response by school and district officials to a report of a gun on campus that forced the school into a lockdown. At approximately 7:25 a.m. on Monday, March 7, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call from a parent at the high school who relayed their child had seen another stu-
dent carrying a firearm on campus, according to Principal Jose Villarreal. The school’s administration was immediately alerted, and sheriff’s deputies subsequently arrived and conducted a search of the campus until determining there was no credible threat to safety. However, some are expressing frustration that parents and students were only told of the threat an hour later, at 8:30 a.m. “They shouldn’t have allowed
the school to start at all,” said Tammy Solari, who has two sons who attend Rancho Buena Vista. Solari said she and other parents were also annoyed that school officials sent out an email, as opposed to a robocall or text message, to announce the lockdown. “They knew that there was a credible threat to safety, and they decided to have kids come to school anyways,” said Elana Price, whose son Christian is a junior at RBV. "It was handled
so poorly, I mean they sent all of us an email at 8:30 in the morning — an hour later— and it was an email instead of a phone call or text." According to Villarreal, deputies responding to the scene had informed the administration the threat did not appear to be credible, which is why the principal said he allowed the school to proceed as planned that morning despite the implementation of a TURN TO THREAT ON 7
As gas prices keep rising, board urges Newsom to act By City News Service
REGION — The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County rose Wednesday for the 22nd straight day, increasing 3.3 cents to a record $5.805. The average price has risen $1.061 during the streak, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. “It bears reminding
that the cost of oil accounts for about 50% of what drivers pay at the pump,” said Doug Shupe, the Automobile Club of Southern California's corporate communications manager. “This war (in Ukraine) is roiling an already tight global oil market and making it hard to determine if we are near a peak for pump prices, or if they keep grinding higher. It all
depends on the direction of oil prices.” The price of a barrel of Brent crude has dropped 21.9% on ICE Futures Europe since rising to $127.98 March 8, its highest amount since July 22, 2008, settling at $99.91 Tuesday, dropping $6.99 for the session. Brent crude is the global oil benchmark, accounting for about 80% of
the world's crude oil. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers to suspend the gas tax for one year to help offset rising fuel costs. Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond released a board letter advocating the suspension. Desmond said the board's vote “sends a
strong message to Governor Newsom and Sacramento politicians that San Diegans are tired of paying record gas prices. “This money belongs to the taxpayers and we should be all we can to put it back in their pockets.” At the urging of board Chairman Nathan Fletcher, supervisors also supported Newsom's still-undefined plans for a tax rebate.
SAN MARCOS — Eightyear-old Brooklyn Houchin and her teacher at Double Peak elementary school, Jena Steinberger, may be many years apart in age, but Brooklyn’s mom, Ashley, says the pair are practically best friends. It’s not just what Steinberger does in the classroom, where she teaches kindergarten and first grade, that makes a difference, Ashley Houchin said. It’s the one-on-one time Steinberger devotes to students who can use the extra help, the level of care and attention she brings to the classroom, and the personal connection and rapport she builds with her kids beyond classes that make her one of a kind, Houchin said. “From the first day our daughter Brooklyn stepped onto campus as a scared little 4-yearold, Jena Steinberger became her rock. Brooklyn gets anxious with new situations and doesn’t always have the most self-confidence,” Houchin said. “Jena has done something for (Brooklyn) these past 3.5 years that are immeasurable and priceless. She has instilled so much confidence in her and invested so much time into my daughter, that I truly will forever be grateful for the impact she has had in shaping my daughter’s love for learning.” But Steinberger, along with 96 of her full-time colleagues, is slated to be laid off this month due to budgetary constraints, San Marcos Unified officials announced Monday. The district released the names of 97 certified staff and 50 temporary teaching staff who will be out of a job by the start of the upcoming school year, according to San Marcos Educators Association president Dale Pluciennek. While some layoffs had been expected due to SMUSD’s challenging budgetary situation, Pluciennek said that he and the other educators were stunned by the sheer number of teachers cut by the district. “‘Wow’ is the word I would use,” Pluciennek said. “You have 97 teachers plus 50 temporary staff that are losing their TURN TO LAYOFFS ON 9