A look at the NCTimes VUSD blog wars

I found a typical VUSD blog war saved in my computer files from a year ago as I was researching the previous blogs. I think the back and forth, the accusations and lies of the ANTIs followed by the calm facts of PRO public education folks might be illuminating to anyone who has not read the North County Times online and seen the blogs following any article that mentioned the Vista Unified School District.

Here is the article:
VISTA: VUSD negotiates lower price for magnet high school
Contractor agrees to shave $2.5 million from project
By STACY BRANDT - Staff Writer Wednesday, May 7, 2008 2:05 PM PDT

Seems like our school board did a good thing right? If you think so then you are not an ANTI.

Let's see what an average battle in the VUSD Wars looks like. I posted the battle below. Note: the PRO public education posts are colored in blue. All other colors represent ANTIs. At the time of these posts there was no requirement by the NCTimes for blogger to have only one name, so the ANTI posts could have been all posted by one person. I believe most of them were, however, from context, I would guess there were actually three ANTIs involved.

There were two PRO bloggers. One was a parent who made only one post.

not in my backyard[-] wrote on May 7, 2008 4:16 PM:please don't build this school here -the roads are no up to the traffic- have you tried to drive EB 76 at rush hour? Why here? The population of east oceanside will not support this school - stop wasting the money!

Observer[-] wrote on May 7, 2008 4:50 PM:NIMBY's correct on all points. It should have been built on the Lincoln site with more than one story buildings. Those would now be finished, ready to be used AND ALL of the buildings would be completed ready to house students this fall -- even a cafeteria!

Transportation vs Location[-] wrote on May 7, 2008 7:27 PM:So, VUSD builds this school at the far end of the District (so far that they had to petition the County Office of Ed. to move District boundaries). They all the schools Magnet High Schools, but don't provide any District funded transportation, and there is no City or county transportation available either.

Enter oil prices soaring to $120+ a barrel and heading toward $200 a barrel, with corresponding Gasoline prices at $4/gal and heading toward $5/gal.

Add in the looming recession (CA is already in one).

Now answer me this: Where are all the students going to come from to populate these new schools? What parent is going to drive up to 10 miles across town (20 miles round trip) 5 days a week, in morning and afternoon traffic on city streets getting no better than 10 MPG (or about $10/day, $50/week, or $1,820/ school year), spending up to an hour or more of daily commuting time, just so their child can attend these schools? Especially when their child can simply walk to the local High School down the block. At best, when this trailer park school opens (most likely behind the new schedule), requiring additional work to be fully completed (see Rancho Minerva Middle School), the enrollment will be too low to effectively run both of the two schools as separate schools. Within a year there will be a move by the District to unify the two schools into a small comprehensive high school, and redraw boundaries within the District to "Force" students to attend this school. Even then, it will have numerous facilities problems (see Madison Middle school and the sewer gas problems) and the trailers will begin to leak due to corner cutting required to come in within the new budget. In the end the test scores of the students forced to attend this school will show no significant improvement, and the taxpayers will be out the nearly $100M spent to build another failing trailer park school.

Oh what a waste of good young minds!

Trailer Park High School[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 1:37 AM:This is what Mission Vista should be called and a White Elephant should be its mascot. Ok, maybe a Trojan Horse because that is what it is. I agree with Transportation vs. Location that within a year it will be turned into a comprehensive High School. Isn't it nice that Administration receives a stick built building, yet the student population has modular buildings with a couple of exceptions? If they were so concerned about the cost, keep the modular trend and build something that is needed. Say, like a cafeteria or a science building, perhaps? Isn’t it fair that if students have to learn in trailers that administrators should follow suit?

foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 5:47 AM:The Lincoln Middle School site was too small to be a high school forty years when I was in high school. It was run down then. It's water and sewer systems buried under the buildings was inadequate and still is.

This community has needed a new high school on a high school sized property for the last twenty years. Let's get it built.

To foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 6:30 AM:You say that the Lincoln site is still run down? Have you stopped by to see? It is a shame that these rumors continue. Since we are on rumors...never mind...

foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 6:40 AM:To Transportation vs Location

A few of questions for you:

(1) Suppose bond Prop LL had been passed back in the mid-eigties when there was still vacant land in the middle of the district, where do you think the high school would have been built? Perhaps on one of those middle of our district tracts of lands that is now covered in housing developments?

(2) What did you do to help pass those earlier bonds when more centrally located land parcels were available?

(3) Whose fault is it that the only tract of high school sized land left when a bond issue finally passed was out at the far end of the district? (By the way there are hundreds of homes and apartments west and southwest of the new magnet high school. I think they may contain a few potential students who will want a high school near their homes.)

(4) Would you or your side ever be in favor of any new PUBLIC school ever being built?

(5) What do you have against new schools being built? What is really behind your opposition? It cannot be money because if you are a property owner, you personally will be out only a few hundred dollars over thirty years at most. So what is really behind the anger?

shelley[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 6:50 AM:Interesting that the Lincoln site has so many problems and could not be the site for a new HS, but yet it is still being used plumbing problems and all!!!

To foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 7:47 AM:Good luck...
OUSD Bond[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 8:38 AM:How about another bond to fund a complete build out of this campus like Oceanside Unified is doing to finish their school projects. I know that would never happen in VUSD. The question is why? OUSD board vs. VUSD board. Quite a difference...

Sam[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 9:24 AM:Foolednomore should be called morefooled. It is too bad the people were more fooled too, lied too, and cheated too. I hope people think twice about voteing for Bonds. How can the VUSD take monies from another school and use it anywhere they want? I think we have been taken to the cleaners again. I wish Oceanside could get out of the Vista School District. SUCKERS' AGAIN!

Shirley[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 4:11 PM:Yes! Finally the school will be built - just in time for my son to go there. And yes, a LOT of his friends also plan to attend. Honestly, I would love it if the school went comprehensive.

To foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 8:24 PM:(1) As I recall Rancho Buena Vista High School was built back in the 1980s. Wasn’t that High School built without the Passage f Prop LL? VUSD didn’t need a 3rd High School until the 1990s. Also, as I recall Vista’s original High School was in the middle of Vista. But, someone arranged a trade between VUSD and the City and City Hall was moved into the old High School. That site could have been utilized for a High School using Modernization Funds from the State if it had not been traded away to the City. Suppose VUSD had taken advantage of Prop 1A Hardship Funds when they initially qualified for them and had built some of the schools they needed back in 2000? Where were you then when Hubbard was openly opposed to taking advantage of California Taxpayer dollars to build much needed schools?
(2) Suppose VUSD had used the money they had in their building fund back in the late 1990s and applied for Modernization Funds (80% match) and used those funds to expand some of the existing schools UPWARD, thereby effectively utilizing both the taxpayers’ money and the taxpayers’ land, and ending overcrowding without the need for a local Bond before Prop O was even put on the Ballot? Where were you on this option, and what do you have against efficient utilization of taxpayer dollars and the responsible use of land, as opposed to the sprawl designs that continue to take more and more land away from farmers and natural habitat?
(3) That would be the fault of the Board Majority and the past Administration who were bent on building New Schools paid for by a local Bond as opposed to Utilizing funds from a State wide bond for which they were eligible.
a. Not enough to justify the Magnet status of these two schools. Besides, to officially qualify as a MAGNET School, the District needs to show they are actually drawing from a cross-section of the community the District Serves. Not simply a local elite population.
(4) Yes. Especially if it were done in an efficient and effective manner, well planned, and built on schedule and within budget.
(5) Nothing, when they are actually needed, and responsibly built.
a. Waste, Fraud, and Abuse of Public Trust!
b. Actually, the base dollars Prop O is costing me is around $18,000 over 30 years. When you calculate the lost revenues (return on investment ) from those dollars it is closer to around $54,000. Some may think that a small amount, but when on a fixed income that can be quite sizable. Especially when all I keep seeing is VUSD wasting those funds, failing to deliver on their promises concerning the total schools to be built (after having mislead the public on the number of schools needed), and worst of all: Failing the children and community by not delivering a quality education.
c. Waste Fraud and Abuse! Indoctrination as opposed to Education! A failed Public Education System that is more about benefits for the Administrators, maximizing revenues to the Unions, tying the hands of teachers, and utterly failing to prepare children for anything more than becoming serfs, beholden to the Government from cradle to grave!

Vista Watchdog[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 8:32 PM:The Lincoln site has to be occupied or else the State will require it be torn down and replaced. If it were to fully close, VUSD could not get it recertified for occupancy as it does NOT meet the California Earth Quake standards, and many other safety standards. The REAL question concerning Lincoln should be, with all the problems and safety issues why are students being forced to use this school when VUSD could have torn it down and rebuilt a New, Modern, Safe, Multi-Story School in its place?

foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 9:13 PM:to Shelley

Yes, the Lincoln site is being used and will continue to be used. However there are NOT two thousand HIGH school students at the Lincoln site now as there would be for a high school. The students there are middle school students. They do not drive and there are far fewer of those middle school students currently at the site than there would be if it were a HIGH school.

HIGH school students require more facilities than middle school. One very important one is a STUDENT parking lot. Look at the immense size of the RBVHS STUDENT parking lot. It has to be ten acres or more in size. There is no room for a STUDENT parking lot at the Lincoln site. The current facility may be painted better than the ugly military green of forty years ago, but the SEWER pipes and WATER pipes are the same. Changing the toilets and washbasins in the bathrooms does not make the too small and clogged up sewer pipes handle any more water. Try flushing TWO toilets at the same time in one of the bathroms there. See what happens. I remember the overflowing toilets and the flooded floors.

The student locker rooms are small, poorly organized and contain many blind corners and allies where no PE coach can supervise. Lots of bad stuff used to happen in those locker rooms. Have they been re-designed so that supervision is possible?

The gym contains only one set of bleachers for both the home and visiting fans to sit in. The mix of the two groups in the one set of seats lead to some bad incidence by the more rowdy male fans. A basketball gym at a high school needs SEPARATE bleachers for home and visting fans. Can you imagine what could happen today in an era of gangs and guns with home and visiting fans mixed together for championship game? Someone has to lose.

I notice that not one of the anti-education crowd wrote in to tell us when they would ever support the building of a new PUBLIC school. I guess their silence means that they would NEVER support our local children having a new school under any circumstances. Had that been the attitude in the 1930's when the bond for the Lincoln site on Escondido Ave passed, I guess all the children in VUSD would be going to school in tents.

foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 9:15 PM:To Sam

East Oceanside is inside the VUSD boundaries because school districts were started long before communities in North County were incorporated. The City of Vista was not an incorporated city when I was a child. The city had no set boundaries. It was a general area. However, VUSD did have boundaries because its founding goes back to early part of the twentieth century (even before I was born!).

When the City of Vista was incorporated in the 1960’s, the city founding fathers decided not to set the CITY of VISTA boundaries to overlap the VISTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT boundaries. They left out the western part of the VUSD lands. Why? Who knows? I do not remember.

For some reason the founding fathers allowed Oceanside to annex land that was traditionally thought of as Vista land. That land which was once west Vista is today called East Oceanside. Maybe someone with a better memory than mine can enlighten us as to why west Vista was given over to Oceanside. I do not remember the reasons except it was something about keeping Vista a rural community.

Foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 10:30 PM:
To Vista watchdog

The Lincoln Middle School site does not met earthquake standards? Really? Exactly how does a school building get an exemption to the FIELD ACT? You know the one passed one month after the Long Beach earthquake in 1933 that destroyed seventy schools. You remember the Act that REQUIRES all buildings used by students at a school site to meet earthquake standards.

You can read all about it at the site below. Here is a statement from that site that might enlighten you: “In 1976 public schools built before the Field Act were phased out of use or retrofitted to comply with the act.” http://www.seismic.ca.gov/pub/Field%20Act%20Findings%20.pdf
So how was has the Lincoln Middle School site been used since 1976 if it did not meet Field Act seismic standards? Do you think your facts might be mixed up again?

To foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 10:35 PM:VUSD recently completed an extensive study of those sewer pipes and found them to be in "amazingly good condition." Nice try on the sewer pipes at Lincoln. Now answer us this one: When will the sewer be installed at the Melrose/76 Site? Yes, students need functioning bathrooms: NOT porta-potties! And, speaking of sewers, isn't it you who keeps bringing up Strawberry Hill, another site that had no sewer hookups available? And as long as we are at it... You mention students needing a student parking lot. Vista High is using a good portion of the student parking lot for portable classrooms. If they were to have used Modernization funds to build the school up to a multi-story school the students would again have a student parking lot at VHS, and we would not need these new schools. Also, as a Magnet school in the middle of Vista, Lincoln would have been well situated to take advantage of Public Transportation at the transportation hub (Sprinter and NCTD Bus) about 1/2 mile away. Finally, if VUSD had not traded away the fine property on which the Original Vista High was located, there would have been plenty of parking available, and plenty of room for future expansion. By the way, what do you have against providing access to those students who would benefit most from having a centrally located magnet school that they could actually walk to?

foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 10:37 PM: To Vista Watch Dog
The current Vista City Hall is located on the first Lincoln Middle School campus. The City Hall site was never a high school campus. The old Vista High School across the street (Escondido Ave) from the first Lincoln Middle School was renamed Lincoln Middle School when the new Vista High was built on Bobier. Very confusing to have two different sites in the district called Lincoln at two different times and two different sites called Vista High at two different times. This is an easy mistake to make. You probably have not been around as long as I have.

foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 10:39 PM: The problem with the Lincoln site is not failure to meet Field Act requirements. The problem at Lincoln is trying to turn it into a HIGH school because of its inadequate SEWERS and its lack of STUDENT PARKING.

I wonder about a two story high school and the Field Act. Wouldn’t such a school be far more dangerous in an earthquake? Aren’t you already worried about earthquakes?

Where would the money come from to clear the site and build a two story high school? I know according to you it would appear magically from the mythical funds that the state of California just hands over to school districts who refuse to pass local bonds.

foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 10:45 PM:Today there are more and more homes in Vista housing more than one family. No new developer fees come in for those multiple families and multiple sets of children living in what used to be single family houses and apartments. Yet we have to house those children in our schools.

The Developer Fees the district acquires with the building of each new house in VUSD are running dry. New houses are not being built fast enough, besides most of the land for building new houses has run out. Substantial amounts of developer fees are a thing of the past. They never were enough to pay for building all the schools VUSD needed and in the future the monies are likely to be less and less.

State money is very difficult to get. Far more districts apply and qualify for far more funds then there are ever available when a state bond passes. When the state bond money runs out and Vista did not get enough of it then what? Our children in tents for classrooms? Again I ask Vista Watchdog, did you ever vote for a State bond? If not why not? If you want to use State bond money to build schools in VUSD don't you have to support the passage of state bonds?

History to foolednomore[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 10:46 PM:Nice try on the Vista and VUSD Boundaries and Eastern Oceanside. But, you have it all wrong! Vista Unified did NOT include Eastern Oceanside in 1963, as it was actually part of Unincorporated San Diego County when Vist was incorporated. When the developer came in to build Rancho Del Oro, they approached the City of Vista, but the City was not intereseted. However, Oceanside was. They wanted the community to be in a city so as to obtain city services such as Fire, Police, and road maintenance. But, as Oceanside Unified was not a very highly rated School District, and VUSD was currently at the top in San Diego County, the developer approach VUSD and asked them to annex the community into VUSD. This was so that the developer could have better retail pricing on their homes as the homes would be located within the boundaries of the #1 District in SD County!

Vista Watchdog[-] wrote on May 8, 2008 11:27 PM:Lincoln was built to meet the Field Act of 1933, but does NOT meet the requirements of the Uniform Building Code as amended. The 1933 earthquake did destroy many schools, but the Sylmar quake (February 1, 1971) destroyed the VA Hospital in Simi Valley that was built to the Field Act standards. So, in the 1970's the Uniform Building Code as amended and required all new construction to be built to much greater standards, and older buildings to eventually be retrofitted (I do believe you will find that is one of the reasons Tri-City Hospital keeps trying to pass a Bond, so that they can complete the required retro-fits of the Uniform Building Code as amended). Lincoln is grandfathered in under the Uniform Building Code so long as it remains an "Active" school. Once it is officially closed it cannot be re-occupied as under the Occupancy Requirements of CA Ed. Code, Lincoln as it is currently constructed will not pass. That is why they had to find something to put in there: the Magnet Middle School, or be forced to sell the property. VUSD does not desire to lose this property as it is still too valuable for other uses, and may eventually be rebuilt. Unfortunately Prop O did not contain adequate funding for the replacement of Lincoln unless it was to be completely torn down. This was due to the fact that VUSD was originally selling the Bond on the presumption of needing a 5th Middle School, so Lincoln was not to be abandoned. But, since enrollment dropped, as predicted by some who were against the bond, continuing to operate Lincoln could no longer be justified. You really should try to get your facts straight before you do your blogging, as you will find the actual date for phasing out schools was June 30 1975, unless the District applied for and received and extension. Then the maximum use would end June 30, 1977. However, as noted above, the 1971 quake accelerated the rebuilding of schools such that all schools had been retrofitted by 1976 (the date you quoted). But, you will also find that shortly after the Sylmar Quake and subsequent amending of the Uniform Building Codes, CA Passed Prop 13, significantly limiting funds for new construction and retrofitting of schools to the new requirements. This brought in the Harold F. Greene act of 1976 which created such things as Modernization Funds, and Hardship Funds. These sources of funding could have been used by VUSD to retro-fit Lincoln or actually remove and replace the unsafe structures. But, certain individuals had too much sentimental attachment to the pseudo-historic Administration buildings and balked at the idea of tearing down the old school. So, where do we go from here? What else shall we discuss from our personal histories of Vista and VUSD? Maybe we should attach the actual date that VUSD became Vista “Unified” School District and see how that stands up to the facts (dates) you mention!

History[-] wrote on May 9, 2008 12:07 AM:There were no Bonds required when Lincoln was built. In fact, if you'd paid attention in school you'd know that we were in the middle of the Great Depression in the 1930s, and agricultural communities like Vista didn’t have a whole lot of money. Many schools built in those days in CA were actually Public Works projects funded by the Federal Government to help put people back to work. You will recall from your reading of the Grapes of Wrath that people were heading out of the Dust Bowl (Mid-west) to California to find work. California was not impacted by the Drying out in the Mid-west and in fact was under the influence of an El Nino that was supplying larger than normal amounts of water. This greatly aided CA farmers in becoming one of the largest producers of agricultural goods to the rest of the US. So, with all these people heading west to CA, new schools were needed to educate the many children arriving in the area. Local communities were heavily strapped for funds and could not afford to build these schools. But also, not everyone coming to CA was able to find work, nor were they all suited for agricultural work. President Roosevelt and Congress implemented many public works projects, including the Interstate Highway system, Hoover Dam, and building of Public Facilities such as schools. So, without needing a Local School bond Lincoln was built and the Vista High School District was founded. Oh yes, High School students were now able to leave their tents (they were living in tents) and actually attend school in a brick and mortar facility. By the way, prior to Prop 13 passage, local school bonds were not “passes” by local voters. Rather, the District Board of Trustees would vote to pass the bond and assess the home owners for the Bond. The abuse of this constant assessment, especially as Districts began to approach the June 30 1975 deadline, was one of the driving factors that caused Prop 13 to pass!

whatta waste[-] wrote on May 9, 2008 6:36 AM:enrollments down,bad place for school
in the mean time i'll still be paying
on the bond

foolednomore[-] wrote on May 9, 2008 4:43 PM:Vista Watchdog says, "Lincoln is grandfathered in under the Uniform Building Code so long as it remains an "Active" school." Please give a website that backs up that assertion. Otherwise we will have to assume that you have no basis for your statement.

I gave a government website that backs up my belief that Lincoln Middle School is in compliance with the Field Act. Can you give a verifiable source that disputes my belief and my government website?

foolednomore[-] wrote on May 9, 2008 4:55 PM: History wrote: “you have it all wrong! Vista Unified did NOT include Eastern Oceanside in 1963, as it was actually part of Unincorporated San Diego County when Vist (sic) was incorporated.”

To History, the incorporation of the city of Vista has nothing to do with the establishment of the Vista Unified SCHOOL DISTRICT. The CITY of Vista and the Vista Unified SCHOOL DISTRICT are two completely governing agencies--different governing structures, different boundaries and different histories. They only share some of the same land and the word “Vista.”

I have emailed the Vista Historical Society and asked them to email an explanation as to how east Oceanside got into the Vista Unified School District. I will post any reply I receive.

I lived way out in the country as a child of the late fifties and sixties. Our home was miles from the city. A school bus came to pick up the various children in isolated houses and took us on a morning and evening meandering trip on tiny roads that took more than an hour each way. None of the other children’s homes were in the city either but we all ended up at a district school. There was never any Fallbrook or Oceanside bus out our way. The school district boundaries must have included our homes even though we lived in what was then unincorporated county land.

foolednomore[-] wrote on May 9, 2008 5:00 PM:To history

Could you agree to let the Vista Historical Society to settle the question of where the money came from to build the buildings now called the Magnet Middle School formerly Lincoln Middle School and before that Vista High School.

Are you saying it was a WPA project? Are you also saying that the citizens in the Vista area did nothing to raise any funds to help build it?



--------------------------------------------
The following was taken from a conversation between NCTimes blogger, Fooled No More and Jack Larimer of the Vista Historical Society May 10, 2008 call duration from approx 12:25PM to 1:20PM.

I have since learned that Vista Historical Society will have a new web site soon. The old one has been abandoned. The email address at the old site does not work.

I called the Vista Historical Society today (Saturday) as my email was returned undeliverable. Jack Larimer answered the phone and then answered the questions in dispute in this blog . He was kind enough to give me almost an hour of his time. He is a very informed person on Vista history. He once worked at City Hall. He was brought up locally and his mother worked for the VUSD at Lincoln Middle School. Here is a summary of the notes I scribbled.


(1) Was the current city hall site ever a high school? The answer is NO.

First elementary school built in Vista was in 1917. Modified building still exists at 644 Vista Village. Second school built was at the current City Hall site. It was originally an elementary school. Then a bond was passed to build Santa Fe Elementary now VAPVA. When Santa Fe was build then the city hall site became a junior high named Lincoln in 1950’s. Then Vista High west of Escondido was built in 1938 but foundation laid 1937. Federal government needed to approve plans. Not a WPA project but there was Federal involvement. There was also a local bond passed. With the construction of the High School and Santa Fe elementary school VUSD hoped to have enough space for all the children in district for many, many years to come. However within five years Crestview was built.

(2) Was east Oceanside incorporated into VUSD as some kind of collusion between developer of Rancho Del Oro and the school district. The answer is NO.

What is now east Oceanside Rancho Del Oro area was long in the VUSD district going back to founding of the Unified district in 1938. There have been some major and minor VUSD boundary shifts since VUSD was founded but that area was in VUSD since it became a unified District in 1938. The biggest change was a major SIZE REDUCTION in VUSD when all the land north of San Luis Rey River was given to Bonsall elementary and Fallbrook High School Districts. Other minor changes Elevado part was added to VUSD because students from houses there had to physically go through Vista Unified to get to Bonsall. Also When College Boulevard was built the nearby wavering line between Oceanside Unified and Vista Unified was straightened to go down the center of College Boulevard. Also an error was made by the original engineer hired to write the description of VUSD boundaries in 1938. He took the easy way out and used a section boundary in the north west corner of the district instead of writing another page or two describing the property boundaries south of the San Luis Rey River. That is why part of the site for the dual magnet high schools north of 76 ended up in Fallbrook High School and Bonsall districts. Hence a land swap was needed to make the site available for the new Dual Magnet High Schools. A record of all school boundary changes can be found at the County Supervisor’s offices in San Diego and possibly at the County Board of Education as well.

(3) Was the dual magnet site (recently the site of Lincoln Middle School) financed by the federal government? Yes and no. There was federal involvement but Mr. Larimer believes there was a local school bond issue passed as well. There are microfiche records at the city library containing copies of the newspapers from 1938. Anyone who wishes to can look up stories from that time and say exactly. However there were bond issues being passed even back then. The problem with rapid growth in Vista started with a bond issue and the formation of the Vista Irrigation Company

Mr. Larimer suggests that more details can be found in a book called the History of Vista by Doyle or History of the Vista Unified School District written in 1992 sold at Rancho Buena Vista or the History of Northern San Diego County. Also I know that Donna Harper wrote a View of Vista that might be useful.

Jack Larimer also mentioned that Rick Hall did a study for VUSD about using the Lincoln site and the City Hall Site together as a high school with bridges crossing over Escondido Avenue between the two sites. the plan had to be approved by the state and the state said, "No" to the combined site.