Middle school programs prosper at Mary Fay

Because of the vast military family population in the greater Fallbrook community, the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District (FUESD) has been working to provide quality services to children who live both in town and on Camp Pendleton. For the past two years, FUESD has not only provided elementary schools for the children on base to attend, but has also been slowly implementing more middle school courses at Mary Fay Pendleton for students to attend.

According to Bill Billingsley, director of special programs for the elementary district, there are six middle school teachers teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grades at Mary Fay. The teachers’ salaries are covered mostly by increased average daily attendance funding that the district received from the state to cover the additional students enrolled.

“Mary Fay has always been a K-6 school; 7th grade was added last year, and 8th grade was added during this current school year,” said Billingsley. “Currently 190 students are enrolled in just the middle school.”

Though the schools on Camp Pendleton are a part of the Fallbrook district, there are certain differences between having students continue their middle school studies on base, as opposed to sending them to the larger Potter Junior High School.

“Benefits at Mary Fay include fewer overall 6th through 8th grade students enrolled on their campus; close student/teacher interactions; highest API scores in the Fallbrook Union Elem. District; closely knit campus community; electives offered are: TV production studio; glee club; living skills,” said Billingsley. “Potter Junior High also has excellent programs and high academic standards – it’s nice that the district has several options for parents to consider, and that for our military students, they now can remain enrolled at Mary Fay Pendleton from kindergarten all the way to 8th grade.”

The district is more than pleased to offer whatever services it can to the Pendleton community.

“We are so very fortunate to be able offer an outstanding K-8 educational program at Mary Fay Pendleton,” said Billingsley. “Parents are thrilled to have elementary and now middle school students enrolled at their neighborhood school where they know expectations of students are high, student achievement is tremendous, and the close knit military family ties continue to thrive all the way through the end of 8th grade.”

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