Point Reyes Light - October 25, 2002

Bolinas-Stinson debate on class size

By Andrew Pridgen

Candidates for the Bolinas-Stinson Beach School District Board of Trustees agreed in a Tuesday night debate that with enrollment still plummeting, whether to combine classes or reassign teachers will have to be dealt with.

School staff, 60 percent of whom have been hired in the last two years, may have to change what they teach. The candidates, however, differed about how to make these changes, if at all.

The five candidates are challengers Matt Lewis, Tom Williard, and Meg Simonds, along with incumbents Charlie Ross and incumbent Frankie Accardi. Three open seats will be up for grabs in the Nov. 5 election. Former Trustee Colleen Hicks has decided not to seek reelection. Trustees Ross and Accardi have each served four years on the school board.

More than 20 residents attended the second of two candidates’ forums at the Bolinas School. The school’s eighth graders moderated the candidate’s debate, which consisted of an three-minute opening statement followed by a question and answer session and finishing with two-minute closing sentiments.

Poetically campaigning

Trustee Accardi gave her opening statement in free verse, presenting a litany of Bolinas-Stinson issues and constantly repeating the phrase, "What’s best for the children?"

Incumbent Accardi, the only candidate from Stinson Beach, used the question-and-answer session to repeatedly stress she has no agenda and is for the children.

When asked by a member of the audience why she chose to run again after hinting that she would not seek another term, Accardi smiled broadly. "What we’ve done in the last two years is really make some changes," she said. "The programs we’ve added are still in their infancy. I am reinvigorated, I want to see them come to their fruition."

Prexy praises Accardi

School board president Tomas Krakauer, who was elected in 2000 after vowing to help bring a conversational-Spanish program, a computer center, and summer school program to the district told The Light that Accardi has been instrumental in making these changes come to life without ulterior motives.

"She’s a mom, and she cares about the kids. That’s not just something she talks about. It’s something she does. These kids are special and nobody knows that better than Frankie [Accardi]," he said.

Contractor Matt Lewis, a 1976 graduate of Bolinas School, lost two years ago by a narrow margin; nonetheless, he has remained involved in the district by helping start the computer center, as well as an alumni association.

Should pupils be sheltered?

A member of the audience said that some Bolinas School graduates are unprepared for high schools and drop out in order to return to the security of Bolinas. The district needs to prepare students for the world outside of West Marin, he said.

Challenger Lewis disagreed, saying, "These years are the magic years. Up until about 13, those are the years of discovery. Let’s keep them children as long as we can. They’ll eventually see the woes of the world."

Lewis then proposed using some of the district’s money to build a soccer field and an all-purpose gym, not only to keep children active but to continue to make Bolinas and Stinson Beach towns where people can move in, stay, and raise a family.

Multi-age classrooms

Foster parent Simmons, who has lived in Bolinas for 23 years, said she is interested in creating multi-age classrooms and keeping the district fiscally sound. As a parent, her foster son attended the district’s multi-age Pine Gulch program, and she believes similar programs for upper grades can prepare children for the rigors of high school and beyond.

"I’m in favor of getting things done in a clear and efficient manner," she said. "I have no hidden agendas. I want to address our dwindling enrollment, and I want to take a different look at our finances and see what’s the best way to go about things."

Krakauer pointed out that the money for the district is equivalent to that of Ross School, making it one of the most financially stable districts in the state, so there’s no excuse for Bolinas and Stinson Beach not having the best education possible.

Incumbent Charlie Ross, a draper, who has lived in Bolinas for most of the past two decades, admitted that his past four years on the school board has been a learning process. With that experience behind him, he said, it’s time for the real work to begin.

Ready for greatness

"I’d like to make a push for [Bolinas and Stinson Beach] schools to become a part of California’s Distinguished Schools," he said, adding that he’d also like to bring a adult education courses to the district in the evening.

Ross noted that a few years ago nobody thought adding Spanish or the computer lab was possible, so the board needs goals that seem out of reach to keep pushing the district to greater plateaus.

Former engineer Tom Williard, who with his wife Lisa Bell made Bolinas his permanent home two years ago. She is a teacher in the district, and he has served on the Friends of the Library Association and has worked on BPUD committees regarding septic issues and the proposed bike path

He’s now ready, he said, to make a major commitment to the district with a focus on its sustainability.

"The district should be financially proactive not just prudent," he said. "We need to integrate the programs and take advantage of state programs."

Williard said state funding is available for a program called "Solar Schools," which could power and heat parts of campus with natural energy.

Falling enrollment

Falling enrollment dropping is the most emotional issue for the second district election in a row. While Ross and Lewis view enrollment as a fluctuating entity and are not bothered by smaller classrooms, Simmons and Williard said they believe multi-age classrooms need to be seriously considered.

Accardi said she felt money would be available to keep small classrooms intact but also said at some point very small classrooms (10 or under) are not the best things for children.

In the end, all candidates agreed that Bolinas-Stinson School District continues to offer some of the best and most innovative public education in the state, with officials striving to make their schools better than private institutions.

Point Reyes Light Cover | News | Coastal Traveler