Bonsall High School fights to pass Measure EE

Measure EE, a fiscally responsible plan in support of excellent education and safe Bonsall schools, would provide the Bonsall Unified School District with the funds to continue operating under its students’ growing needs.

In particular, this proposition would allow Bonsall High School, an integral part of the education system, to flourish and expand as it moves locations to the district-owned property on Gird Road. With its own campus, BHS would be able to offer its students what such a small atmosphere can’t.

Sharing the same site with Sullivan Middle School is impractical in the long term, considering limited access and parking. Traffic on Lilac Road is heavily congested as parents from both schools come for their children. This congestion is extremely hazardous in emergency situations, such as fires and evacuations, with parents unable to reach their children in the chaotic mess of cars. This claustrophobic environment yields great concerns for student safety.

A new campus would prevent incoming overcrowding, supplying the space and individual attention critical in fostering student success. With the finances to expand BHS’s athletic and arts departments, students with these interests would have another local option in terms of high schools.

Though the high school is already offering several dual-enrollment courses on and off campus, this influx in funding would allow for even more college-prep and perhaps advanced-placement courses.

Those concerned about how their tax dollars will be spent can rest assured knowing that a mandatory citizens oversight committee, annual audits and a detailed project list would inform the community of how each penny is utilized.

Many of the first graduating class testify that BHS felt like home, which cannot be said by most other high school students. This senior class had a graduation rate of 97 percent, 86 percent of which were college bound, in comparison to Fallbrook High’s 76 percent and the California average of 83 percent.

The significance of Measure EE is immeasurable to the BHS family, who hope to leave the legacy of this new campus, despite not being able to experience it for themselves, all agreeing that it’s what is best for future students.

Heather Holdo, Sara Barclay and Maddison Walsh