Superintendent Karl Mueller told Coronado public school trustees a dream of lowering class sizes could come true under a new funding system, but he also warned that Coronado Unified School District may have to adjust its inter-district transfer philosophy.
Mueller said CUSD will not depend on enrollment and student attendance when the district officially becomes a basic aid school district, or funded by local property taxes, in 2027.
“We’re going to have to make some difficult decisions about inter-district transfers,” added Mueller.
In his annual State of the District presentation to the governing board on Jan. 15, Mueller said CUSD is ready for this new funding model guided by board-approved strategic visioning.
At a time when revenue will not depend on enrollment, Mueller said, transitional kindergarten is another program that will not be funded in basic aid.
Mueller did not spell out how transitional kindergarten and interdistrict transfers may be affected – decisions that he said will be up to School Board members. However, he emphasized,
“When we reach 2027, we are a basic-aid school district, which will change the landscape of CUSD.”
Moving forward, Mueller said the governing board is going to prioritize initiatives focusing on special programs such as visual and performing arts, as well as world language.
“We’re being responsive to our community voice and we’re being responsive to the skills and the experiences that our students need to have options and opportunities when they graduate from CUSD,” he added.
Coronado Middle School report
The new funding system – and resulting priority dilemmas – were presented at a time when the district reports 17% of the 999 students enrolled in Coronado High School in the 2024-25 school year are inter-district transfer students.
This year, 129 out of 622 students enrolled at Coronado Middle School are inter-district transfer students, according to a report by Coronado Middle School Principal Brooke Falar.
Brooke Falar, the middle school principal, said science scores on standardized tests showed a nine point improvement this year.
Overall, CUSD’s 2025 state assessment data shows “a slight cooling” in academic scores compared to 2024, says a report by the district’s learning department.
Falar said English and math scores at the middle school have gone down in large part due to changing demographics.
According to Falar, CMS is in its second year implementing STAR assessments in math and English – three times a year for most students and up to five times for those who are underperforming.
“It has been a great tool,” she added.
Falar said the school has increased counseling support this year and conducted behavioral surveys to support students amid a “very challenging year.”
Those changes were instituted after a lawsuit alleged bullying at the school, and the campus experienced a stabbing incident. The district also is reviewing its policy on student cell phone use in the aftermath of those issues.
“Some of the rumors or the perception that our school is unsafe because of bullies is just not true,” said Falar, who received a standing ovation from the governing board at the end of her report. “Believe me, our students are also aware of the perception that’s out there.”
“I wanna take a moment to shout out my sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students because they are resilient, brilliant and amazing humans,” she continued. “The CMS staff, what a caring, dedicated and positive group of individuals that make CMS a place where people love, or at least like, to come to work.”
In other matters:
- The board accepted a $1,000 donation made by Rajeev Jain to Silver Strand Elementary designated for second- and third-grade math, reading, iLab, and garden in memory and honor of Susan Larson.
- The board received and approved its audited financials for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.
The next regular board meeting is set for 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19 at the district office.
