What happened? 

APR 12, 2018 What happened? 

Thanks to everyone who showed up! Jason List of Urban Futures presented results of a telephone survey of 400 district voters. Yes, the answers went a little shaky when the Gird Valley site came up. With mixed results and controversy in the community over the site, Mr. List urged the board to not move forward with a bond but to do more outreach. The Board listened and heard from audience members who felt those opposed to a huge high school in Gird Valley were “selfish” and those who felt historical Gird Valley is worth saving from such a huge development (especially when a school on that site has been rejected five times at the ballot box).

Others felt Bonsall should build its high school in the center of the district in Bonsall (as it was told to do so by the State and the County during its unification process), not at the northernmost edge of the district in Fallbrook. Several speakers worried that the Sullivan Campus in Bonsall (located in a moderate wildfire hazard zone) was dangerous but were pushing for building on Gird Road (located in a very high wildfire hazard zone). Brian Olson noted that BUSD has presented a proposal for Gird Valley, a school for 1,500 students plus staff, that has only one exit/entrance, a point that is non negotiable for the community wherever the school will be built. Teresa Platt of SaveGirdValley.com noted that a Fire Chief’s letter supporting two exits/entrances had been submitted during the EIR comment period. Traffic concerns came up over and over and over again. A 1,500-student school on Gird Road will generate a 73% increase in traffic and traffic is a concern on West Lilac and at all the BUSD schools but BUSD has made absolutely no effort to be a good neighbor and reduce its traffic, district-side, through the adoption of a carpool app. Teresa Platt of SaveGirdValley.com researched available carpool apps, recommended one and committed $1,000 toward this project. That was June of 2017. As of April 2018, BUSD has done nothing to advance the effort to reduce the negatives of its out-of-control traffic. Community engagement came up but BUSD does not archive recordings of its meetings online so it’s impossible for district residents to really learn about the issues. BUSD’s Board called a break then returned and deviated from its stated objective on Agenda Item 9.2, “Board Discussion and Approval of Building New Bonsall High School Campus at Gird Road Site”. Instead it voted to “affirm” the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee’s Site Report (not included in the Agenda) stating Gird is the best site for a high school and to educate the public on why. Here’s our analysis of that report [direct link: https://bit.ly/2sObxYs] and additional comments (pages 15 and 16) on the inadequacy of such submitted during the Draft Environmental Impact (DEIR) process. Will there be a bond measure in November, Attempt #6 to build a high school on Gird Road? We still don’t know.