The San Bruno Park Elementary School District has been through a lot in recent years. A revolving door of superintendents, declining enrollment and revenue, board dysfunction. This most recent era is a sad legacy following a prior era of fiscal mismanagement and personality politics that ended with the departure of a longtime superintendent and several longtime board members. There hasn’t been an era of stability in a very very very long time.
A bridge from that first era has been Trustee Jennifer Blanco. In that first era, Blanco stood tall against boorish behavior by other trustees and fought to bring accountability and representation to her school community. In this most recent era, it seems, Blanco carried over some unfortunate traits from the last and has proven to be at the end of the road for her effectiveness. In fact, she can be seen as a detriment to professionalism and progress.
There is a chance that she could level out and be effective under a new superintendent, but it is a risk the San Bruno school community cannot take. We should take this opportunity to thank her for her service and for her dedication to the school community and to equity. We know she did what she believed was right.
However, now is the time for a new era and for new leadership. Andriana Shea and Bryan Vander Lugt will be those new leaders. Both have taken the reins of responsibility in serving on the board of the San Bruno Education Foundation board. Both are involved in myriad ways and show themselves to be effective communicators and listeners. Both are committed to planning and following through and working collaboratively with leadership and the school community.
Both show great promise and that sense of hope will go a long way when meeting the district’s numerous challenges.
The previous dysfunction caused instability which repelled young families and turned them to private schools. It is a downward spiral that could very well continue without a dramatic change. And that change starts at the board level.
This is a challenging time for all schools contending with the nuances of distance learning and the need to plan for reopening safely. The board needs to move effectively and cohesively with mutual respect and collaboration. This requires a fresh start, and Shea and Vander Lugt will provide that.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.