BUSD working on New Technology Network grant

The Bonsall Unified School District is considering using New Technology High School in Napa as a model for Bonsall’s new high school, and BUSD staff will be working with the New Technology Network on a design for Bonsall’s school.

On July 11, the BUSD board approved a grant application to the New Technology Network which would fund $125,000 of annual design and planning work for three years.

“We’ll start working on that application and see if it gets accepted,” said BUSD superintendent Justin Cunningham.

Earlier this year a 15-person Bonsall contingent including staff, board members, teachers, and parents utilized a $15,000 grant from the Right to Succeed Foundation to visit two Northern California high schools, including New Tech, before using the remaining amount of that grant for a consulting agreement which will enable Bonsall district staff and board members to keep abreast of various models of interest.

Students at New Tech interact with local industry and serve internships, allowing those students to develop a network in their desired career fields. The New Tech curriculum also utilizes interdisciplinary fields, for example the combination of biology and physical education studies for biophysics, and concurrent enrollment with a community college allows students to earn early college credit. Schools where students interact with industry also have reduced truancy and other behavioral problems compared to traditional high school campuses.

“We could probably improve the model here in Bonsall,” Cunningham said.

The July 11 board meeting included a presentation by New Technology Network senior director of new school development Tim Presiado, who indicated that the actual expenses might be under $125,000 annually. BUSD and New Technology Network staff will work on the grant application to increase the chance of the Bonsall district receiving a grant award.

The services covered by the expenditures include up to two executive tours for district and community planning teams to an existing local school demonstration site, access to a Web-based planning portal and resource library, a visit by New Technology Network staff to the district and school to meet with the community and assess readiness, a leadership residency for the principal and one additional leadership partner, shadowing training for up to 12 administrators and first-year teachers, new school training for administrators and teachers along with a counselor and an information technology administrator, participation in professional development events and conferences, on-line training, on-site and remote coaching, curriculum and grade book tools, and monitoring services.