Dust Settles at CUSD
Larry Christensen, CUSD Trustee

The Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) has been too newsworthy over the past couple decades for all the wrong reasons. Controversial curriculum, misappropriation of funding, a bloated administration loyal to a now-indicted superintendent and his deputy, questionable closed-door meetings resulting in years of seven-to-zero voting by the then-trustees, the creation of “enemy lists,” election manipulation, and the exorbitant raiding of potential classroom dollars to build the “Taj Mahal” administration building were all factors that invited reform initiated at the 2006 voting box.

Though embattled from the get-go by residual staff in lockstep with the former regime, organized opposition, as well as a maze of local and state bureaucratic roadblocks designed by special interest groups, the “reform trustees” have made inroads to change the culture of CUSD and to put the focus back into the classroom. There is a strong desire to get back to teaching the basics of traditional education so that CUSD children are able to compete with the rest of the world.

Several resolutions and board policies were put forth to protect against “the sins of the past.”  Additionally, “loose ends” created by a once-dysfunctional facilities department that resulted in several lawsuits, boundary disputes, delayed projects, favorite schools to the detriment of others, and overall lack of maintenance are close to being rectified.  An unfortunate confrontation with the teacher’s union over lack of funding from the state was recently settled despite an ill-conceived and disruptive strike. The result of this nationally watched issue, all along championed by the reform trustees, was that teachers kept their jobs and classroom sizes were not increased for the 2010-2011 school year.

During this unsettled chaos, the district suffered through three interim superintendents as well as two appointed superintendents (one recently fired).  It is here that the dust appears to have settled. The recent hiring of Dr. Joseph Farley, a proven no-nonsense “education first” superintendent from Anaheim, has in just two months proven to be effective. Dr. Farley has demonstrated an astute ability to quickly assess individuals and situations.  Prospects for a smooth-running school district look promising.

Perhaps the winds of time have settled at CUSD and clear skies are on the horizon. It is the desire and hope that the future newsworthiness of CUSD will be limited to its academic achievements that are, as a result of the recent standardized testing, at an all time high.